The mayor of the first municipality in Tenerife to have imposed restrictions due to the drought this winter has issued a warning. Luis Javier González, mayor of Fasnia, cautions that “if we continue to promote mass tourism and maintain the scarcity of water resources, the situation will become more complex”.
The mayor of Fasnia has released a decree announcing drastic measures to combat water shortages during one of the warmest and driest winters in history, a situation which the Socialist leader describes as “very serious”.
Thus, the Fasnia City Council forbids the use of drinking water for irrigation of farms and gardens, as well as for filling pools, tanks, ponds or containers. The decree also prohibits car washing – except at gas stations – cleaning facades, use of beach showers and new water meters from the reservoir.
Las Eras promenade, in Fasnia. / El Día
It is the first council to announce restrictions on such a basic service after confirming that the Tenerife Island Council will declare a water emergency across the island this Friday. “The decision was made before the announcement that the water emergency will be declared. The reality is very complex,” clarifies Luis Javier González.
“The decision was made before the announcement that the water emergency will be declared. The reality is very complex,” clarifies Luis Javier González
The mayor of Fasnia once again points to tourism when he states that “currently we cannot get water because there is none; it is diverted to the South because there is higher consumption due to the presence of tourists”.
The mayor of Fasnia Borough Council recalls that the municipality “has been restricting the use of reservoirs since the end of summer” for irrigation purposes. “We used to open them for four days, after the fire it was reduced to two, and now only for one day,” he explains.
“We contract water every June and we are currently using the water contracted last year, which guarantees human consumption. But not for irrigation. With this winter, there are no guarantees,” concluded Luis Javier González.
Luis Javier González, Mayor of Fasnia. / Carsten W. Lauritsen
Last Sunday, in an official statement, the Island Council Government, led by the nationalist Rosa Dávila, confirmed that it will approve the declaration of a water emergency at the plenary session taking place this Friday, 1st March. The government group will present a motion seeking the consensus of all political parties to tackle together the “serious drought situation affecting Tenerife”.
It is very likely that other municipalities on the island will adopt similar measures following the declaration of a maximum emergency due to the lack of water in Tenerife.
