East of Malaga village declares tap water safe again

El Borge town hall in the east of Malaga province has declared its tap water safe to drink again after locals were told not to use it for drinking or food preparation due to high levels of chlorates. The town hall has lifted the restrictions after receiving favourable test results from the municipal network.

The village is one of three in the Axarquía, along with Iznate and Totalán, which in recent weeks had been forced to declare the water undrinkable due to the detection of high levels of chlorates, a by-product of the chlorine disinfection process regulated by new state regulations.

Mayor of El Borge Raúl Vallejo said that "the situation affecting water quality has been resolved" thanks to the implementation of corrective measures in the water deposits and distribution network, as well as adjustments to the chlorination processes. "The analytical results have been consistently positive, allowing us to officially declare the water fit for human consumption," he said.

In addition to restoring normality, a set of preventive measures has been agreed with public water company Axaragua to prevent the problem from recurring, in a context marked by the entry into force of Royal Decree 3/2023, which sets a specific limit for chlorate of 0.7 milligrams per litre for the first time.

Vallejo expressly thanked the "patience, understanding and cooperation of the residents" during the weeks when the water was not fit for drinking, as well as the support of local shops and businesses that provided bottled water.

Iznate has already returned to normal after receiving favourable reports, while Totalán is still advising residents not to consume tap water until the technical work has been completed and new analyses confirm that the water is safe to drink.

Health authorities have pointed out that these incidents are not related to contamination of La Viñuela reservoir, which supplies these and other towns and villages in the Axarquía, but to specific problems in municipal networks, many of which have outdated infrastructure and require adjustments to disinfection and maintenance processes in order to comply with new quality standards.