20 ... or usInG morE accEssIblE rEsourcEs 28. there can be competing demands on water resources between, for example, the needs of agriculture and domestic consumption. the possibility of using water resources reserved for agricultural use for human consumption has not been explored for the projects examined (see Box 5). nonetheless, good practices have been noted in some spanish regions, where a flexible exchange system regarding water usage rights is in place, so that water intended for irrigation can be used to supply water for domestic consumption when needed. box 4 box 5 ExamPlEs of bEnEfIcIary munIcIPalItIEs haVInG takEn actIon to rEducE WatEr lossEs the cf co-financed the construction of a dam so as to provide 34 hm3/year of water to a spanish city and its surrounding area. this dam was justified on the basis of an estimated demand of 158 hm3/year by 2012. at the same time the city drew up an action plan including the installation of individual meters in apartments and the improvement of the transport and distribution network. this was also a condition imposed by the commission when it approved the grant in 2000. the action plan achieved better results than those required by the commission: non-invoiced water is currently around 20 % compared to 36 % beforehand. furthemore, despite a significant increase in population, overall demand has decreased from 142 hm3 in 1997–98, when the project was approved, to about 120 hm3 in 2008. for another spanish city, the cf co-financed a bulk water supply system. the project estimated the city’s future demand at 113 hm3. the commission, in its co-financing decision of 2001, imposed the implementation of a plan to reduce leakage, which resulted in a reduction in non-invoiced water from 50 % to 30 %. though the population has increased, overall demand has decreased from 81 hm3 in 1996 to 61 hm3 in 2008. thE usE of nEarby WatEr rEsourcEs In the areas corresponding to two co-financed projects in spain, several municipalities were distributing water with a nitrate content significantly higher than the maximum set by the drinking water quality directive, due to contamination from agriculture. the possibility of using nearby good quality surface water for domestic consumption, instead of poor quality water, was not considered by the project promoter because the usage rights of this good quality water had been granted to farmers. for each project, underground water wells and transport pipes of about 50 km in length were built. however, for one of these projects, the authorities in charge of water management had not yet granted an abstraction permit and requested the local authorities to look for a solution to make it possible to use surface water reserved for farmers. this would, however, require additional infrastructure to be constructed. special report no 9/2010 – Is EU structural measures spending on the supply of water for domestic consumption used to best effect? 
20 ... eller anVända resUrser sOm är mer tillgängliga 28. det kan finnas konkurrerande efterfrågan på vattenresurser, till exempel jordbrukets behov och hushållens förbrukning. möjligheten att använda vattenresurser som har avsatts för användning inom jordbruket som dricksvatten har inte utforskats i de granskade projekten (se ruta 5).