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Andratx Desalination Plant: Where Southwest Mallorca's Water Comes From
Much of the tap water in Calvià and Andratx is desalinated seawater, produced at the Andratx desalination plant and the larger Badia de Palma plant. On 30 September 2026 the Balearic government announced a third production line at Andratx, adding a 7,500 cubic metre daily reserve.
It is the kind of news that rarely makes headlines but matters to anyone who owns, or plans to own, a home in southwest Mallorca. Water is the question buyers ask us about more than almost any other utility, especially after a long summer. Here is how the system works, what is being built and what it means for households in Santa Ponsa, Port Adriano, Peguera and Andratx.
How the Southwest Gets Its Water
Two desalination plants do the heavy lifting for this corner of the island. The Badia de Palma plant, which entered service in the summer of 1999, is Mallorca's main source of desalinated water and mainly supplies Palma, Calvià and Andratx. The Andratx plant sits further west and, under its current operating contract, has a maximum output of 14,000 cubic metres a day, around 4.69 cubic hectometres a year, supplying Andratx and Calvià.
Desalination works by pushing seawater through membranes that remove the salt, producing drinking water that is independent of rainfall. That independence is the point. Groundwater and reservoirs rise and fall with the seasons; a desalination plant keeps producing whatever the weather has done.
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The Third Line at the Andratx Desalination Plant
The Andratx plant currently runs two production lines of 7,000 cubic metres a day each, and its original design already allowed space for a third. According to the Govern's announcement on 30 September, that third line is designed to produce 7,500 cubic metres a day when needed, and will normally stand ready as a reserve for Andratx and Calvià.
Once energy improvements to the two existing lines are complete, the plant's planned maximum capacity is 22,500 cubic metres a day. The Balearic Agency for Water and Environmental Quality (ABAQUA) is arranging the contract to draw up the project, including its environmental documentation, and a technical estimate puts construction, site supervision and safety coordination at 8.2 million euros. When the new line runs, less water has to be drawn from the Son Pacs reservoir, leaving more for other needs across the island.
The Govern's own project page notes that the expansion also strengthens the wider network, including the Badia de Palma plant, and helps secure supply to Palma, Calvià and Andratx as well as Marratxí, Bunyola and Santa Maria del Camí. You can read the details on the Govern de les Illes Balears website.
Paid For by the Tourist Tax
The Andratx expansion is one of 14 water projects across the Balearic Islands funded with 39.8 million euros from the sustainable tourism tax for 2026 and 2027. The package also covers municipal pipes, wastewater treatment and equipment to detect leaks in the network. In other words, the visitors who fill the southwest in summer are helping to pay for the water infrastructure that residents use all year.
The 51 Million Euro Rebuild in the Bay of Palma
The bigger investment is happening at the Badia de Palma plant. The Govern has awarded the two contracts for a complete renovation of the plant, worth 50.98 million euros including VAT and funded from ABAQUA's budgets between 2026 and 2029. After more than a quarter of a century in service, the plant is getting a full overhaul.
The renovation is part of a wider strategy to reinforce the island's main supply network and reduce pressure on aquifers by using sources such as desalination. Other projects under way include a drinking water pipeline between Petra and Manacor, energy recovery equipment at several plants, and the expansion of the Alcúdia plant in the north alongside Andratx.
What It Means for Homeowners in the Southwest
For a family buying in Calvià, the practical message is reassuring. The municipality sits at the end of a supply system built around rainfall-independent sources, and both of the plants that serve it are receiving significant investment. That is a real advantage when comparing southwest Mallorca with inland areas that rely more heavily on wells.
When you view a property, it is still worth asking a few simple questions. Is the house connected to the mains network, or does it rely on a well or a cistern (aljibe)? Most homes in the urbanisations of Santa Ponsa, Nova Santa Ponsa, Bendinat and Port Adriano are on mains water, while rural fincas sometimes combine sources. What do recent water bills look like? And for a villa with a pool and garden, are there water-saving features such as drip irrigation or rainwater collection?
Our guide to the real cost of utilities in Mallorca covers water bills alongside electricity and broadband, and our article on solar power for homes looks at the other half of running a sustainable house on the island.
Looking at Homes in Calvià and Andratx
We have sold homes in southwest Mallorca since 1985, and infrastructure like this is part of why the area has kept its appeal for families and long-term residents. If you would like to see what is available, browse our homes in Santa Ponsa and Nova Santa Ponsa or our properties across Mallorca.
For questions about a specific property, including how it is supplied with water, call us on +34 971 692 434, message us on WhatsApp or email help@imperial-properties.com.
