Galicia faces a new episode of water shortage despite the arrival of rain expected for this weekend. The Xunta has expanded the alert to 59 municipalities in the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra, after incorporating the supply systems of Ferrol, A Coruña, the coast of Pontevedra and Vigo. Another 64 municipalities remain on pre-alert.
The decision, adopted by the Technical Office of the Drought on November 5, responds to the sustained drop in water reserves and to the evolution of river flows. Although weather forecasts point to a change in weather, the authorities warn that an episode of rainfall is not enough to immediately recover the resources accumulated over months.
The supply reservoirs of the Galicia-Costa demarcation are at 38.04% of their capacity, according to the latest data from the Xunta. The figure means almost 27 points less than at the same dates in 2025.
Which municipalities are on alert for water shortage
The expansion includes four new territorial units in addition to the two already on alert since August. In total, there are 59 municipalities, although some appear to be affected only partially by the delimitation of the supply systems.
Ferrol and its surroundings (14 municipalities): Ares, Cabanas, A Capela, As Pontes de García Rodríguez, Cerdido, Fene, Ferrol, Mugardos, Narón, Valdoviño, Moeche, Neda, San Sadurniño and As Somozas.
Río Verdugo, ría de Vigo and ría de Baiona (10 municipalities): Fornelos de Montes, Gondomar, Mondariz, Nigrán, Oia, Pazos de Borbén, Redondela, Soutomaior, Vigo and Baiona.
Coast of Pontevedra (2 municipalities): A Guarda and O Rosal.
Río Mero, Arteixo and ría de A Coruña (2 municipalities): A Coruña and Cambre.
To these 28 municipalities are added those that were already on alert:
Río Lérez (20 municipalities): Beariz, Barro, Bueu, Campo Lameiro, Cangas de Morrazo, Cerdedo-Cotobade, A Estrada, Forcarei, A Lama, Marín, Meaño, Meis, Moaña, Moraña, Poio, Ponte Caldelas, Pontevedra, Sanxenxo, Silleda and Vilaboa.
Río Anllóns (11 municipalities): Arteixo, Cabana de Bergantiños, Carballo, Cerceda, Coristanco, Culleredo, A Laracha, Malpica de Bergantiños, Ponteceso, Tordoia and Zas.
The Xunta also keeps another 64 municipalities on pre-alert, including Santiago de Compostela, Ames, Ribeira, Noia, Vilagarcía de Arousa, Cambados, O Grove, Betanzos, Oleiros, Sada, Viveiro and Foz. In total, 123 municipalities are included partially or completely in one of the areas affected by the water shortage.
Alert does not mean water cuts
The alert declaration is the second-highest level of the autonomous system for tracking water scarcity. It allows saving measures to be intensified and considers the possibility of limiting non-priority uses, such as watering gardens, filling swimming pools, or washing down streets.
However, being on alert does not mean that residents will suffer supply cuts, nor that restrictions are automatically applied in all municipalities. The specific measures depend on the situation of each supply system and on the decisions taken by the responsible administrations.
For its part, the pre-alert involves a phase of enhanced monitoring. Municipalities must intensify monitoring of their consumption and communicate their flow rates daily, in addition to promoting responsible water use.
The Xunta also maintains the declaration of prolonged drought across the Galicia-Costa region. This is a different situation from scarcity alert and it also does not, by itself, imply restrictions on uses and consumption.
Why rainfall does not refill reservoirs from one day to the next
The arrival of precipitation can ease the situation, but it does not entail an immediate recovery of reserves. After several months with rain below usual levels, the water that falls must first moisten the soils and feed the river channels before translating into a significant increase in the volume stored in reservoirs.
In addition, part of the water is lost through infiltration into the ground and another part returns to the atmosphere through evaporation, especially if high temperatures persist. The intensity and distribution of precipitation also matter: a heavy, punctual rainfall does not have the same effect as several continuous episodes spread over weeks.
The problem worsens when rivers maintain low flow rates. Even if it rains for a few days, reserves need time to recover the accumulated deficit and return to levels that allow them to face new dry periods.
The Xunta’s data reflects that situation: the Galicia-Costa supply reservoirs were at 38.04% of their capacity, compared with levels almost 27 points higher on the same dates the previous year.
Eiras, one of the most worrying areas
The situation of the Eiras reservoir, which supplies mainly Vigo and other municipalities in its surrounding area, concentrates much of the concern. According to data published on November 5, the dam was at 36.36% of its capacity, compared with 77.27% recorded on the same dates in 2025.
The Zamáns reservoir, which also supplies part of Vigo, was at 37.62%. The situation has led the Xunta to announce a reduction in the ecological flow of the Oitavén and Baíña rivers in order to favor the inflow of water into the Eiras and Baíña reservoirs. The measure will be applied for the time strictly necessary, according to Augas de Galicia.
In the case of Ferrol, the As Forcadas reservoir also shows low levels. Its management falls within the municipal sphere, so any possible measures regarding flow and supply must be addressed with the responsible administrations.
Therefore, the situation is not identical in all systems. The alert declaration groups territories with different levels of reserves and supply needs, so measures may vary from one municipality to another.
Recovery will depend on the coming weeks
The Xunta has decided to maintain monitoring of water resources and request responsible consumption while precipitation evolves. The arrival of rain may help improve flows and reserves, but its effect will depend on how much it rains, for how long, and in which areas of the district.
For now, the expansion of the alert reflects that the accumulated deficit remains significant. The recovery of the reservoirs will not depend on a single rainfall episode, but on precipitation continuing and allowing water resources to be progressively restored.