Government insists Gibraltar will always be self-sufficient for water

The government has issued a statement to reassure concerned residents that the decision to explore the possibility of a pipeline to Spain for a supply of potable water was exclusively as a contingency measure in case of emergency, such as the recent fire and rockfall in a tunnel which damaged infrastructure and left the Rock with no water for days.

There is "no intention whatsoever of using this pipe as a permanent supply" and "we will always ensure we are self-sufficient in our production of water," it said.