Agua Potable o no !

I moved to La Alpujarra nearly nine years ago, and now I wouldn't be anywhere else, but my biggest gripe, is that we still do not have drinking water. The Ayuntamiento will tell you it is potable, but everyone in the village goes with their containers to the Spring to get drinking water, because that which comes through our taps ranges in colour and texture from clear with particles in it, all the way through to grey sludge during heavy rain.

Apparently the Ayuntamiento were given EU money years ago to install a water treatment centre, but it was never built, they just add chlorine to the water that is supplied, and think that is sufficient. I have installed a filter system with a separate tap, But even with that, when we get around to the grey sludge, I have to give up and buy bottled water.

In this day and age, clean water does not seem a lot to ask for! My complaints to both the Ayuntamiento and the Authorities go unanswered, so it appears they do not agree.

I could be blowing this right out the water (pun intended) but the 28 July the UN declared that clean, safe and water sanitation is a basic human right.

So I take it that Spain is part of the United Nations, have voted in the assembly and therefore has to adhere to the regulations. Although politics being what it is nowadays, I suspect the only way to achieve some sort of result is for your village to act and sign a partition that declares the water unsafe and not easily accesible?

I suppose it comes down to what is considered 'Potable'.

- It could be argued that the Grey/ Brown sludge may actually be fit for Human consumption - just that it does not look, smell or taste particlularly nice, and that a series of filters would remedy this. I'm not saying that this will be the case, but it may be that the EU is guaranteeing  SAFE  drinking water - not 'nice looking / tasting / smelling water'.

My village has a water supply that IS all of those things, but the locals still have a preference from climbing up the hillside most mornings to get their spring water.

Perhaps an independant analysis would help your case?

Any pharmacia in Spain will get your water testedas  it's a legally requirement for anyone with a pozo to get it tested. They'll give you a bottle to fill, they won't use yours in case it's contaminated. It costs about 50 euros and takes a week or so. Also, for the same coat you can get the UK Forestry people to do a very extensive test. I would be surprised if the ayuntamiento is providing non-potable water. As someone said, it's probably just turbid. The locals like using spring water regardless of the normal supply. It doesn't mean the mains water isn't safe. They just like spring water.

Thanks for your opinions, safe or not, I can assure you our water comes direct from the borehole with no intervention other than added chlorine.

It is that safe the Ayuntamiento turned the water supply off for three days over last Christmas because they thought we would get dysentry.

The locals must really love their spring water to queue up in pouring rain to get bottles of water... no, here it is because the water is not drinkable, and it is the local Spaniards that tell you not to drink it. Maybe one day....

Well then for goodness sake be proactive and  get the bloody water tested....