Twelve days after the passage of the Dana through Valencia, the water supply for thousands of inhabitants of the province continues to be a problem. According to the data updated so far by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, in five municipalities – of the total of 78 affected towns – you cannot still drink tap water, and in another 60 localities residents must boil it for their own consumption. consumption. There are still 7,000 households that continue without supply in their homes, indicate sources from the department headed by the minister and third vice president of the Government, Teresa Ribera. In the first days after the catastrophe, there were 600,000 families without water in their homes.
After the publication of these data, however, the Valencian president, Carlos Mazón, has clarified that “they are not correct.” In an appearance before the media, Mazón stressed that, at the moment, “there are no official recommendations to heat the water.” He stressed that, although water can be used for showering and washing, Public Health of the Generalitat recommends the use of bottled water for drinking and cooking in all affected municipalities, and recalled that there is free bottled water at the refreshment points. of each locality.
The Ribera ministry does not specify which are the specific municipalities that have to boil water or that cannot even consume it. And it is sent to the Ministry of Health, dependent on the Generalitat Valenciana. In the regional government, however, they are not responsible for the data provided by the central government. It is the town councils that warn their census takers whether the water in their homes is suitable or not. Ribera’s team does point out that the city of Valencia does not present problems.
Regarding the homes that remain without supply, and after days of cleaning and restoration of public services, the obstacle no longer lies so much in the supply networks but in the damage suffered in the buildings themselves. Ministry sources suggest that normality in the water supply will return in about 10 days.
Between this Sunday and tomorrow, samples will continue to be removed and water analyzes carried out to update the information. The seawater is also being examined through the work of a ship from the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) present in the area.
On the other hand, there are homes in which, even though the water supply has been restored, the pressure in the pipes is insufficient, normally on the highest floors of the properties. The cause of this problem is twofold: on the one hand, the damage prevents it from rising with the same intensity; and, on the other hand, water consumption has multiplied by four due to the intense work of cleaning the streets and houses.
Hundreds of security forces, residents and volunteers continue cleaning the streets of the affected municipalities, which were flooded with mud and sludge after the hurricane hit on October 29. In total, the cost of repairing the damages assessed in the water supply and sewage network amounts to 331 million euros. Part of that sludge that has been removed from homes and streets has reached the sewer, so there is a long road ahead to relieve the subsoil of waste.
In total, the ministry estimates that between four and five million cubic meters of waste have accumulated. And three points have already been identified for its deposit in mining operations or quarries, which due to their degree of permeability allow this process. Specifically, in the areas near Picassent, Montserrat, Xiva, Cheste and Godelleta. The locations must be close to the zero zone of the damage to prevent the transport of sludge from slowing down, and provide the greatest number of consecutive trips in the shortest possible time. The sludge does not have to be decontaminated for deposit, except that which comes from sewage or industrial discharges.
