The more than 5,500 inhabitants of La Guancha can now consume tap water without the slightest restriction. This was confirmed yesterday by the Guanchero City Council, once the improvement in fluoride levels has been confirmed. The limitations in the use of public water supply in this municipality have been permanent. The last one was on April 5. That day, the Consistory restricted consumption throughout the municipality and the entire population due to excess fluoride, which reached 4.1 milligrams per liter, when the recommended limit is 1.5 milligrams per liter. “The water is not suitable for drinking, cooking, or preparing food in general,” the City Council reported at the time. The inconveniences, 20 days later, have been completely resolved.
The mayor of La Guancha, Antonio Hernández, assured through a statement that the problem could be resolved “by locating and solving a major breakdown in the supply network, specifically in the La Cañada area, which caused a decrease in water levels in the reservoirs. “After resolving the incident a little over a week ago, we have been able to reincorporate 100% treated water and gradually the fluoride levels have fallen below 1.5 milligrams per liter and, therefore, it is guaranteed once again the highest quality of water for consumption by the entire population”, clarified the northern alderman.
The permanent drawbacks with fluoride in La Guancha have to do with the fact that the City Council can only acquire water from Vergara and the liquid from this gallery is rich in fluorine, a chemical element that is harmful in certain quantities to human health. As it exceeds the levels allowed by Health, the water must first pass through a desalination plant – the Cruz de los Tarifes plant – to be suitable for human consumption. The sudden loss of flow and the consequent problems cause fluoride to increase, so optimal levels cannot be recovered until the deposits are regulated.
Antonio Hernández clarified to the neighbors that when the restrictions are adopted “these are not easy decisions”, but he clarified that “we have always acted to guarantee that there is no lack of water in any home, a difficult situation that we already had to live in the previous mandate and that we do not want any neighbor to pass by again. Of course, he celebrated that the problem has been resolved and hopes that the network continues to function normally.
