Without water for eight days
Over 100,000 residents are without water a week after storm Alice caused damage to the water supply network. Fresh water has been cut off for eight days. " We have only been able to use it when going to the toilet. For 36 hours it was completely cut off," Anders Folke told Svenska Magasinet on Saturday.
Families have been unable to shower. Businesses and stores have struggled to stay open, as have schools and nursing homes after implementing makeshift solutions.
– We are not allowed to drink, wash clothes, use dishwashers, coffee machines or shower. In other words, we are not allowed to come into contact with the water. It may only be used for toilet visits.
Really hard
– It's starting to get really difficult. There are too few places where we can shower, says Anders Folke, who lives in the area.
The problem arose after the fresh water pipeline to the reservoirs for San Pedro del Pinatar, Javier and Los Alcazares leaked and became contaminated.
One wonders why there is only one pipeline to these reservoirs, and also a pipeline so poor that it cannot handle the torrential rains that are so common here, asks Anders Folke.
Critical
The municipalities are also critical of the lack of communication, foresight and alternatives from the authority under the Ministry of Ecological Transition, writes the daily newspaper La Verdad. Many residents of Mar Menor believe that maintenance has been neglected for several years.
The municipalities of San Pedro, San Javier and Los Alcázares have cleaned the municipal water systems of dirty water and are now awaiting test results.
It was after Storm Alice that the municipalities introduced restrictions. Residents have been unable to drink or shower.
The daily newspaper La Verdad writes that cleanup work is progressing on all fronts to restore normalcy.
The Municipal Association of Canales del Taibilla (MCT) began taking the first samples on Friday to analyze the water quality in the municipal water reservoirs.
The results are then sent to the Ministry of Health, which determines whether the water is suitable for washing, dishwashing or direct consumption.
The mayor of San Pedro del Pinatar, Pedro Javier Sánchez, hopes that the analyses will not take more than 24 or 48 hours and that the authorities will carry them out as quickly as possible.
– We hope to be able to ease the restrictions in the coming days, says Pedro Javier Sánchez.
The steps
Step 1
The municipalities of San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar and Los Alcázares have cleaned their municipal water supply networks to once again be able to supply clean water.
Step 2
The Canales del Taibilla Community (MCT) has started taking samples of the water flowing through the now-cleaned canal. The results must be approved by the Ministry of Health.
Step 3
The final phase comes when the use of water for washing dishes or food, washing machines, showers or finally consumption becomes approved.
Source : La Verdad / Swedish Magazine