Unfair treatment claims as water restrictions implemented along Costa del Sol

A public water company is dramatically reducing water pressure and sealing off meters in response to a drought decree to reduce consumption by 20%

Lorena Cádiz

Fuengirola

Tuesday, 5 December 2023, 17:55

The main water supplier of the western Costa del Sol is reducing water pressure in homes and sealing off some residential meters in a bid to save water. But there are concerns the measures are leaving some residents worse off than others.

It comes after the Junta's drought decree which aims to reduce demand by 20%. In addition to water restrictions implemented by town halls along the Costa del Sol, Acosol has also taken a plunge to help. The public water company recently started to seal off water meters used soley for watering gardens and filling swimming pools in private residential developments. It has also reduced water pressure, affecting all municipalities of the western Costa del Sol.

The company controls the flow that goes from the water treatment plants to the entrance of the towns in this part of the coast. In some municipalities, it also manages the water that goes from the entrance to the town to each house, but in most cases that is managed by other companies such as Gestagua or Hidralia.

But residents in some municipalities are arguing that the restrictions are unfair as they affect some areas more than others. Fuengirola has been immediately impacted by the reduction in the water pressure, as it does not have its own water resource. Mayor Ana Mula raised concerns about the situation, pointing out areas of Fuengirola where just a trickle of water came out of the tap during peak demand times.

While Mula appealed to the public to use water responsibly, she also said her residents were being unfairly treated as a result of the Junta's drought decree. According to municipal technical studies, more than 80% of the municipality's water consumption is for domestic and commercial use, so the regional restriction "affects the residents of Fuengirola to a greater extent than the residents of other towns on the Costa del Sol".

Fuengirola town hall has requested the Junta de Andalucía to take into account these "particular circumstances" and not to apply a water reduction measure in the municipality.

Acosol works in coordination with other water companies such as Gestagua and Hidralia, and holds weekly meetings with them to assess the state of the drought and the results of the water-saving measures they've adopted.

Top 50

Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.

Reporta un error en esta noticia