Drought: Axarquía village imposes fines of up to 3,000 euros for misuse of water

Benamargosa is one of eight towns and villages in the Axarquía to be subject to nighttime cuts to its water supply. Mayor Salvador Arcas announced on Thursday, 3 August, that the town hall is to start issuing fines of up to 3,000 euros for "irregular consumption" of water as of this week, while thousands of avocado and mango farms are drying up in the village.

In the announcement posted on social media, Arcas warned residents that anyone caught misusing water will not only have to pay the fine but also for the water used. To this end, the town hall is going to start a campaign to inspect water meters to check on household consumption and detect possible illegal connections.

The mayor’s message stated that "due to the serious shortage of water resources for supply in the Axarquía, inspection of water meters for the regularisation of household consumption and reporting of offenders is going to be initiated".

The message explained that "the penalty could be up to 3,000 euros” and added, "It is a crime that affects all users of the water service and causes incidents in the continuity of the service we provide, even more so in the serious and extreme drought situation we are suffering."