A massive natural water deposit, equivalent to 70% of the island´s annual consumption, has been discovered beneath the surface of the Timanfaya National Park.

 

 

On an island with very low rainfall and no natural springs, water – or more accurately the lack of same – has always been a key aspect of life here on Lanzarote, particularly in the past, when locals had to be careful to capture and conserve every drop by using stone filters and aljibes. Features which are still common in many older properties on Lanzarote to this day.

The discovery was made by Carlos Soler, the same geological genius who also directed the search for the Holy Fountain on La Palma, which was uncovered in 2005. Soler first suspected that a substantial aquifers also lay under the volcanoes at Timanfaya back in 2006 and a team from the University of Barcelona, headed by Albert Casas, has now confirmed this theory. Which they estimate could produce the equivalent of 70% of the potable water consumed here on the island every year.

Soler believes that this water could be extracted in future without causing any damage to the protected landscapes of Timanfaya – subject to further surveys and investigation.