Almost two months after ending all restrictions on water consumption of the public network, the Municipality of La Guancha is forced to prohibit this Tuesday, February 8, 2022, the consumption of tap water for those under 8 years of age due to a “specific increase” in fluoride levelswhich stand at 2.2 milligrams per liter, when the recommended limit for children under this age is 1.5 milligrams per liter.
Between February and December 2021, children under 8 years of age could not consume water from the public network due to excess fluoride, which for several months even forced the population of all ages to be prohibited from drinking it in this municipality of 5,540 inhabitants. After the normalization of the parameters, on December 13the town has been almost two months without any type of limitation, which now returns for the little ones.
The Municipality of La Guancha informs that, “according to the regulations of the General Directorate of Public Health of the Government of the Canary Islands and after a specific increase in fluoride levels (2.2 mg/l), reflected in the last analysis of public supply water, it is forced to restrict its consumption to the entire local population under 8 years of age.
Fluoride levels in public water supply exceed the limit of 1.5 milligrams per liter
The mayor of the municipality of La Guancha, Antonio Hernandez (PP)stresses that “it is something specific, which often occurs after carrying out maintenance tasks at the treatment plant”, referring to the Brackish Water Desalination Station (EDAS) in Cross of Tariffs. “The initial forecast we have is that within a week or so, this excessive level of fluoride will be corrected,” advances the guanchero president.
The measure has entered into force this Tuesday, February 8, and will be maintained until it is confirmed in the new analyzes that the fluoride values below 1.5 milligrams per liter are recovered. The Guancha The aforementioned plant treats 100% of the water it receives, since it is supplied only from the Vergara gallery, where the water comes out naturally with about 7 milligrams of fluorine per liter, when Public Health places the maximum acceptable limit for human consumption at 4 milligrams for those over 8 years of age.
