Vigo Mayor and Xunta de Galicia clash over Baiona water supply

A political dispute has emerged between the Mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, and the Xunta de Galicia regarding water supply during a period of drought. Caballero has been providing water to the neighboring municipality of Baiona to prevent a total shortage, claiming that without Vigo's intervention, Baiona would have run out of water within a week.

The Mayor initially suggested that the city could stop the supply immediately, a stance that drew warnings from the regional government. The Xunta de Galicia asserted that water is a public good and warned that if the Mayor continued to use the resource as a tool for political confrontation, Augas de Galicia would be legally required to intervene.

Following these warnings, Caballero adjusted his rhetoric, stating that Vigo will continue to provide water to Baiona as long as necessary. He criticized the regional government for failing to manage hydrological planning and accused them of criticizing the city's generosity while failing to take responsibility for high-level water supply. Caballero also defended Vigo's infrastructure, noting that the city's unregistered water loss rate is approximately 6.3%, which he claimed is among the lowest in Spain.