Water Restrictions

[ianandsue]

We live in Los Huevanillas and our water has been designated as not potable ie.it should not be used for drinking or cooking. For several weeks now we have been filling our bottles for drinking and cooking water from a tanker but are paying the same for our water as everyone else in Arboleas.
We have had no update from the Town Hall about when the issue will be resolved. I have asked for a plan of action with timescales....no response!
We are now told that we have a limit on the water we can use, and we cannot use it for topping up our swimming pool, watering plants or washing our terrace etc. Why are we limited? Our water is not drinkable so the restrictions should not apply to the affected areas of Arboleas. Also those using desalinated water should not have restrictions either.
Having said that I will add that we should all be careful with our water use. We are very careful with water, we have guttering around the house, water butts and recycle our backwash water. I have 3000 litres of stored water in various tanks and water butts. Our average water usage based on our Galasa bills is about 180 litres per day for 2 people (even when we were topping up the pool), which is not excessive and well under the 200 litre per person limit.
I will be contacting the Town Hall again and ask them AGAIN when we are likely to have drinkable water in our villages higher up the Arroyo.

[felipe]

I just had my water bill 22€. Used 5cube in 2 months. 2people plus grand kids 2 or 3 times a week for a few hours. Not touched the pool as no point if not swimming in it. Saw a local in Limaria has backwashed their pool last night. Why bother? 
5 cube is about average for us through the winter. 8 to 9 in summer with pool usage.
Would love to know how 200lts per person was derived.

[Johnny73]

They got rid of Brits office as they are not interested in expats problems it seems.  Just my view.
To be fair they were seeing expats call to the town hall who have been in Spain for 20 years + who still have no Spanish.
Antonio is always very helpful but he is now overrun with queries so harder to get to see him.
So now it's make an Appointment  and bring an interpreter.
Do they still provide free Spanish classes ???

[JuanC]

It is absurd if you do not live in the affected neighborhoods of Arroyo Aceituno, that is, from Chopo to Los Lazaros that restrictions are applied to you. The rest of Arboleas consumes desalinated water, which has a higher cost than water obtained from wells.

The consumption of desalinated water is very good for the ecosystem because it recovers aquifers without the need for rain. Of course, the Carboneras desalination plant, which is at less than 50% efficiency, should work harder. Perhaps our City Council has shown solidarity with a desalination machine and does not want to give it a lot of work.

Otherwise, restrictions should only apply if residents were being served water from reservoirs, aquifers, or wells. In this case it would be an alleged scam, because desalinated water is 4 times more expensive than water from wells and residents pay the price of desalinated water throughout the Arboleas area.

Our city council should demand information. But seeing that their first decision was to remove the office serving European citizens, I find this difficult.

How long have they not reported on the functioning of the city council in this forum? Definitely, if you are European residents, you need a lot of luck to be served at our town hall. If not, why have they not clarified the water problem to these neighbors for 3 months?

Who does our city council work for, for the PP or for the residents of Arboleas?

[OGM]

Well it's persistently raining here today in Sunny Cannock and apart from the occasional dry day, seems to have been doing so all year. Can't wait to get back to Espania on Saturday, even if there are water restrictions. I'll just stick to beer to do my bit to help.

[Tetley]

thats the Spirit Ang ,well done 

[Angleseyite]

Sounds just like rural Wales to me Tets, so I'll just get on with it  

[Tetley]

they will probably just do what all administrations do .....threaten massive fines and everybody will town the line with the od one that gets court .....issued with a large fine

and as for the usage

they will probably allow 1400 litres per home a week....then for anybody going over this ,there may be a non compliance penalty ......wich will need to be negated back on the production of house hold padrons & persons proof of residing and allowed usage worked out



the bigger issue .....is people drinking high calcium mineral water .......and effects on health ,but i suppose that wont be a problem either if the water off  and another local problem solved ...

anyway Dears  the pinks storms on its way   

,so it looks like pan scrubbers at the ready and defiantly no ringing eco friendly DavE @ "jet washers are us" ..... as you will all be getting yer collars felt 

[Rod]

I wonder how the water companies cam enforce this. Who knows how many people reside in each property. It could be one person or a family of five or more, the bill is usually raised in one persons name so who is going to go round and check on the residents?

[Roger]

There is also a general hose pipe ban.
The local police should enforce these restrictions, except for limits to daily use which is up to Galasa to impose sanctions.

[Roger]

The law is set by the junta in Sevilla.

We are limited to 200 litres per person per day.

Filling of private swimming pools is not allowed.
That includes topping up.

This is all published and reported in the Spanish media.

What isn't clear is who and what will enforce these laws.

A few days ago I was walking along the street in villaricos and a Spanish house had water running from the garden due to watering, which is illegal.

[SallyW]

Arboleas did issue an official "BANDO", and it was Google-translated and posted here in the Forum by Felipe on 2nd March at 10:14 - see
https://arboleas.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=139664.0

Perhaps we coud regard it as an "appeal" rather than a new Law or "Rule".
 
Other municipalities have issued similar "Bandos"

Thank you.  I guess that I'll just continue doing what I'm doing and at least my conscience is clear, and I won't risk being fined by our zealous new Arboleas policeman. 🤣🤣

[DLMcN]

Arboleas did issue an official "BANDO", and it was Google-translated and posted here in the Forum by Felipe on 2nd March at 10:14 - see
https://arboleas.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=139664.0

Perhaps we coud regard it as an "appeal" rather than a new Law or "Rule".
 
Other municipalities have issued similar "Bandos"

[Johnny73]

Rogers post might help. The town hall made a statement on here if you can find it. Also it was on a bulletin in the town hall.
Who uses 200  litres a day ??
Not worth worrying about. We won't.
Quote Roger ###
Water restrictions

Lots of confusion and misunderstanding.

The facts are simple and confirmed today by the Town Hall.

The Junta published the restrictions and they are the competent authority.
The limit for us is 200 litres per person per day.
This is the legal limit.
The Town Hall has published the new legislation but it is Galasa who will monitor the daily use on a monthly basis and will impose sanctions (we do not know what these will be).

How will Galasa calculate the daily authorised use?
This is for Galasa NOT the Town Hall.
Galasa will use the occupation of each property which was registered when your contract was issued. This will be many many years ago so in many cases it will have changed.
So I can see the possibility of many objections when sanctions arrive.

Of course we know there will be many houses which are now occupied by one person, on the death of a partner.
Also there will be cases where houses with two occupants have been sold to new owners with more than two occupants.

If in doubt you can contact Galasa to check how you are registered with them.

[SallyW]

This is why I want an official link setting out the restrictions - anybody?

[DLMcN]

There is no doubt that there is a  serious problem with our water reserves - owing to the below-normal rainfall. So for the sake of the community, if nothing else, we should all try not to use more than 1400 litres per person per week - [which averages out to 200 per day].

It is not yet clear [as far as I know] how the authorities are going to try and keep track of everybody's consumption - but they can obviously monitor our individual monthly meter-readings. Of paramount importance is the need to determine [and then make a note in their records] how many people are assigned to each property. And it remains to be seen what action will be taken against users who exceed the limit.

Perhaps all the necessary "legal processes" have not yet been fully buttoned up. Thus, [for the time being] people might well get away with ignoring the restrictions, unfortunately.

[SallyW]

Can anyone give me an official link about the water restrictions, not this 'so-and-so told so-and-so that Galasa said'. I have stopped topping up my pool and I'm using as little water as I can, but I hear so many people saying that they are not because 'a reliable source' told them that Galasa says there are no restrictions.