This is an idea for everybody who has rented a vehicle.

If you do not require your hire car to be spotlessly clean, you could take 5 minutes and write to your car hire company and request an unwashed car (obviously driver visibility should not be compromised) - the comapny could limit itself to cleaning the car from the inside saving a lot of water each time.

Car hire companies could also take iniciative on this - even if you feel you cannot force your customers to accept dirty cars, you could give an incentive (say a 5% discount) if a client will accept a dirty car.

I have already booked my car for Christmas - by which time I hope the crisis will be over.

However, I have emailed Your Car Hire to suggest they refrain from washing hire cars until water levels return to something like normal.

Hmmm, instead of renting a nice, clean villa with a lovely fulll swimming pool and freshly watered garden from G, maybe you should take a tent

sorry didn't logon, the last post was mine. B1D

yes excellent idea...and they can knock 3 or 4 euros off the bill fon not having to wash the car...or will they

Hrhr, B1D

Funny you should mention it, there is quite a lot one can do to save water on a rental property, amongst other things:

- Replace all outside taps with lockable taps to prevent children playing with the garden hoses.
- Washing machine only accessible to staff to prevent guests washing only one blouse and a pair of socks (it has been done....more than once)
- Signage reminding the clients of the water problems: asking to use a shower towel more than once if possible, etc.
- Reducing irrigation times and optimizing the circuits, also advising houseowners to install irrigation to conserve water. An automated system can be run at night to optimize the effect it has on the garden.
- Re-designing gardens to replace high maintenance plants with more natural vegetation and reducing unused lawn areas.
- Fix leaking pools or pump systems.

Returned from CVO this week. Water shortage- What water shortage? say the operators of the Cepsa Car Wash, Blue Elephant Car Wash and other Car washes along the N125.

This situation is begining to worry me a little now.
We are coming out in 2 weeks time and are keen to waste as little water as possible but when you find out cars are still being washed i think it gives the impression that everything is alright.

A lot of the car washes use recycled water.

Other things people have been doing (as posted previously) is keeping the shower water to flush the toilet with or for plants, etc...

We were in Portugal last week - we noticed the water pressure wasn't brilliant and the water was off a couple of times.

However, we went out one day and workmen had damaged a pipe and water was gushing down the road - no-one seemed too bothered and it was like it most of the day!

Dosn't help when water is in such short supply.