The Montaña Blanca & Guatisea water cisterns, collection channels, sluices and pipe work once fed water to the towns of San Bartolome and Tais. Before the arrival of the desalination plant, the people of Lanzarote were totally dependent on the collection and storage of rain water.
The island has many examples of large scale feats of hydrological engineering.
Click on the image to open the Montaña Blanca & Guatisea History page in a new tab
Some areas like Haria were lucky enough to have access to artesian wells or springs. At one time the water for Arrecife was extracted and piped from an aquifer beneath the Famara Massif.
Each house or small community would have its Aljibe (water cistern), but when these ran dry, strings of camels were used to deliver barrels of water. In times of severe drought relief was sought from other islands.
La historia del agua en Lanzarote is a great site to learn more about the islands struggle for water. Just click on the dates to explore the timeline.