Laurence Dollimore
A GROUP of expats have been left without water for the past six months.
The group in Villafranco del Guadalhorce have been given a series of excuses for the shortages that began in February.
According to bosses at Alhaurin el Grande, that administers the village, the problems began when a pipe split on private land.
The town hall insists that engineers have been unable to fix the breakage, despite knowing that the residents have no access to a regular water supply.
One British resident, Roy Packham, who has lived in Villafranco for 15 years, is furious that nothing is being done despite sending countless emails to the town hall.
Londoner Packham, 75, said: “The town hall has shown almost no interest. They simply blame the problem on the president of the community.”
He and his neighbours are being forced to use untreated canal water which they fear may be a risk to their health.
Roy is now considering installing a 5,000 litre deposit tank, but says he is reluctant to fork out its €1,000 cost.
“I cannot believe that, in this day and age, it has now been more than six months and still this problem has not been solved and that the Town Hall is not prepared to intervene.
“Water is a vital necessity of daily life and I am at a complete loss to know what further action I can take.”
His Spanish neighbour Diego Martin, 68, a retired police officer, added: “It’s terrible for everyone, especially in the summer months, lots of people are very angry.”
Do not drink canlal water or any other untreated water.It could make you ill and also possibly kill you.
Home water purification system can be found at places like Leroy Merlin or online. To get the worst stuff out, you will need a reverse osmosis rig (or newer counterpart). Filters alone won’t get the chemicals and metals out.
Complain to the European Union while you can I believe that water is on their list of basics to which you have a right to by law.
Yes, the EU has been so effective in Spain proecting rights.