Water supply management in a semi-arid region: Analysis of potable water consumption in Campo de Cartagena - Mar Menor, Southeastern Spain (2010-2019)

The Campo de Cartagena - Mar Menor region is an area of semi-arid characteristics with structural drought, where water shortage has been constant in history, and it has been supplied by water transfers and unconventional resources. The study analyzes potable water consumption, establishing a difference between high or primary consumption and low or secondary consumption, to find out the performance of the network. Strategies and priority lines of action are formulated to improve the water security of the region. Data have been taken from the Commonwealth of Canales del Taibilla (MCT), from the municipal supply companies and from the municipalities of the region. Results show the evolution of the sources of supply, and it is extracted, among others, that companies' performances have improved and that adaptation to climate change is a key factor, diversifying the supply of resources and implementing new technologies, as well as improving distribution and advance social awareness to create a resilient territory. This work serves as a model to characterize and improve the situation of the water supply in other semi-arid environments with similar problems.