Alex Trelinski
RESIDENTS in Teulada on the Costa Blanca have been told not to drink tap water due to a high concentration of salt.
The recommendation comes from Teulada City Council as water company Hidraqua carries out tests.
A statement from the council says people should that ‘out of caution’, people should ‘refrain from consuming the water until the results are confirmed’.
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It emphasises that there is no risk of pathogens or toxins in the water supply and added that it is safe to use for ‘personal hygiene and other domestic uses’.
The municipality’s supply comes from an aquifer used by the Teulada-Benitatxell Water Consortium which since Wednesday has been buying in water from the Javea desalination plant.
It will be mixed in with the aquifer water to reduce the salt content to Teulada and Benitatxell, which unlike its neighbour has not taken the step to warn residents not to drink tap supplies.
Thursday’s Teulada statement said: “Our aquifers are suffering from intrusion of saltwater from the sea, which increases the salinity of the water.”
“In particular, the Senija well currently has salt levels ten times higher than usual and five times higher than historical levels.” according to the press release .
The council added that ‘the situation worsens in summer due to the increase in demand for water’.
“Although the Teulada-Benitatxell Water Consortium a €3 million project to solve these problems, the improvements will not be ready until 2025,” it continued.
Teulada City Council has also appealed for ‘citizen collaboration for the responsible use of water’.
“It is crucial that everybody contributes to conserve this vital resource to ensure its future availability,” the statement concluded.
