La Guancha municipality, located in the northern part of Tenerife, has notified residents on Thursday about the commencement of restrictions on the usage of potable water from the public network “for drinking, cooking, or food preparation.” The measure, as explained by the City Council, applies to the entire population and will be enforced until further notice in all neighbourhoods and townships within the municipality.
The mayor of La Guancha, Antonio Hernández, stated in a released document that “due to the absence of rainfall in the past three months and the occurrences of different breakdowns in the municipal water distribution network, there has been a surge in the demand for drinking water, leading to a significant drop in the water levels of municipal reservoirs.”
Given the “severity” of the situation, the City Council has opted to temporarily limit tap water consumption, while still permitting its usage for household chores and personal hygiene purposes.
Hernández has instructed the cessation of a part of the desalination process of the water entering the reservoirs to include more untreated water, thereby restoring optimal storage levels promptly. He expresses regret for the inconvenience caused but asserts that it is “the most rational solution to prevent a complete halt in the supply, which would leave the entire population without water, resulting in significant inconvenience.”
La Guancha is now part of the restrictions that have also been implemented in the municipalities of Fasnia, Arico, and Icod de Los Vinos, along with the limitations announced by the Island Council on irrigation water in regions of La Laguna, Tacoronte, and Tegueste.
Tenerife has been under a water emergency situation since March due to the scarcity of this resource caused by a prolonged drought. The emergency declaration includes the urgent implementation of 34 projects to enhance the supply and increase water desalination, but does not encompass any specific measures for the tourism sector. So far, neither the most populated nor the most tourist-oriented municipalities have taken any actions towards controlling water consumption.
