Mayor Javier Sierra of Icod de los Vinos has issued a municipal order instructing all residents to limit the use of drinking water in specific situations. This decision was made in response to the water emergency declared by the Island Council on March 1 due to the drought affecting the island.
The Icod City Council stated on Friday that these measures are essential to safeguard water resources, as well as to achieve the set targets for reducing water consumption.
Consequently, the watering of private gardens, orchards, trees, green spaces, and sports facilities will be restricted, except for emergencies or new plantations.
Additionally, filling pools and fountains without a recovery system or closed circuit will not be allowed.
The notice also emphasizes the prohibition of using drinking water for removable or inflatable pools and washing vehicles with hoses on public roads.
The mayor also reminded the public about the restriction on connecting public water supply systems to wells or galleries. Breaching this rule may lead to the suspension of the water supply for health and safety reasons.
The local police and municipal water company staff have been authorised to monitor and enforce the regulations outlined in the document. Any violations may result in fines imposed by the City Council.
Icod now joins Fasnia and Arico as the third municipality in Tenerife to impose water usage restrictions on its residents. None of these municipalities are popular tourist destinations. The water emergency declaration, made at the request of the Island Council, includes 34 urgent projects such as installing five mobile desalination plants and launching an awareness campaign. Surprisingly, there is no mention of the tourism sector in the official document, despite statistics showing that a five-star hotel consumes around 400 litres of water per guest per day, up to four times more than a local resident.
While the Island Council is focusing on providing desalinated and recycled water to inland areas and urging residents to use water responsibly, the tourism sector has not been called upon to contribute to this emergency effort.
Major tourist hubs like Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna, Adeje, and Arona have not yet implemented any measures to reduce water consumption.
