Laurence Dollimore
DOZENS of expats have been left without water in stifling conditions for almost a MONTH.
The residents in Colmenar, in the Axarquia, have been forced to stock up on water bottles or fork out thousands of euros on water tanks thanks to the dwindling water supply.
British expat Malcolm Coxall, 62, now fears the searing summer temperatures has left stagnant water a hotbed for diseases such as Legionnaires.
“It’s the perfect storm,” the former IT technician told the Olive Press. “The water left sitting in pipes for 24 days is no longer chlorinated and the bacteria forming could contaminate domestic water systems once the water returns.
“It’s a serious health risk.”
According to Coxall, it’s the second time this year the area has been left without water, having suffered without it for three weeks in June.
There are also fears it could impact tourism in the area.
“Much of the village’s tourism is based on rural and residential tourists and these visitors and residents are mostly in the countryside,” explained Coxall-
“The village has only 20 hotel rooms, whereas the campo has several hundred houses, many of which are occupied by tourists during the summer.”
He added that Colmenar town hall had provided no information about plans to restore water supply or give reasons why the supply is affected.
“Statements about blocked pipes usually turn out to be incorrect or, at best, avoidable.
“The lack of communication is causing anger.”
Colmenar mayor Pepe Martin Garcia told the Olive Press: “We are working to fix the problem and should have water restored within the first 15 days of September.
“There will then be less demand and the deposits will have gone up again.
“We are also planning on replacing the piping, where there is a blockage.”
He added that the total cost will be around €30,000.
The issue normally is that the town hall has run out of money and cannot afford the water supply. This has happened numerous times across small towns in the Axarquia over recent years. Sometimes the issue is genuinely a broken pump or a leak, but more often than not it’s a “financial blockage”. Town halls in Spain are next to useless in giving out information to their tax-paying residents, it’s just part and parcel of living in inland Spain really.