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Drought crisis
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Alba Tenza
Valle de Abdalajís
Tuesday, 30 January 2024, 17:02
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More than 2,000 residents in a Malaga village now only have running water for 10 hours a day due to the province's worsening drought crisis.
Low levels in Valle de Abdaljís wells and reservoirs has forced the town hall to apply the stricter water use measures. Its 2,500 locals have been living with daily cuts since last summer, but not as extreme as currently where the town halll recently extended the cuts from 12 noon to 5pm and from 10pm to 7am each day.
To complicate the matter, following railway tunnel works in the area that damaged an aquifer some years ago, the town in the northern part of the Guadalhorce valley has been supplied with water from tanker lorries every day since 2007.
"It is not at all pleasant to have to do this, but this measure had to be taken as a matter of urgency, due to the considerable drop in the level of water in our wells and reservoirs," town hall said. The lack of water in the wells that used to supply the reservoirs is practically dry, and the water from the water tankers "is insufficient", the mayor added.
Every day, six water tankers travel through the streets of the village to supply them with water. "We have been like this for 17 years, but the damage is irreparable, the aquifer was the one that supplied the municipality, I hope a solution will be found such as Adif [the railway infrastructure company] building a new water infrastructure as a solution to this problem," said the mayor.
Search for solutions
The town hall, Diputación de Málaga provincial authority, Junta de Andalucía regional government and technical teams from water company Hidrología are discussing ways to remedy the situation. Water company Hidralia has been put at the service of the town by the Diputación to carry out works to reduce and control water consumption, such as detecting excessive water intakes, installing meters and controlling irrigation.
New bylaws will also be approved which will include sanctions for anyone who fails to comply with them. "As the mayor and local government team, we feel we have a responsibility and obligation to bring order and good management of such a precious, necessary and scarce resource as water, so we ask our residents in the valley to understand and be aware of the serious situation," the village's mayor said.
But alarm bells have started to go off throughout the village. "If we are in a situation like this now, I don't want to imagine what it will be like when the summer comes," said one resident.
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