Reservoirs now contain enough water for 'three years'

Guadarranque reservoir, Castellar,
on a sunny day before the rain

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR The Mancomunidad water company, ARCGISA, yesterday announced that calculations resulting from recent rainfall said that there is enough water in the aquifers and reservoirs for the next three years. A reliable private source told us yesterday that some 250 millimeters of rain had come down in San Pablo over the previous eight days. The water company declared that the reservoirs at Guadarranque (Castellar) and Charco Redondo (Los Barrios), which supply all of the Campo except Tarifa, contained a combined total of 146.71 cubic hectolitres (hL3). The Almodóvar reservoir that supplies Tarifa is at 90% of capacity with 5.17 hL3. Based on an annual consumption of between 55 and 57 hL3, says the company, this is a reserve for the next two and a half years, which, added to alternative supply from the aquifer wells of San Roque-Castellar and the Guadiaro-Guadarranque Canal diversion, would be sufficient to supply the area for approximately the next three even if it doesn't rain at all. Reservoir dams near Jerez had to be opened earlier in the week because they were in danger of overflowing.

Area reservoirs collect a mere 8.27 cubic hectometers in a year

Dam at Guadarranque
(Photo: Andalucía Rústica)

2 year supply is guaranteed but Environment asks for caution

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR Recent heavy rains have done little to raise the levels of the area's several reservoirs. 2011-2012 has been a very dry year, raining only 40% of the annual average. The two principal reservoirs, Guadarranque and Charco Redondo, which supply most of the Campo  de Gibraltar, received a total of only 8.27 cubic hectolitres, far from the annual average of 93. Data is not available for the other reservoir at Almodóvar. The so-called hydrologic year starts on October 1 and ends on September 30 the following year. The 2012-2013 year begins with only 48.7% of capacity for the three area reservoirs, which has led the Junta's Department of the Environment to announce that,SOON YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO READ THE REST OF THIS

Reservoir at Gibralmedina on the books again

Under water?
(Photo: rondanews)

JIMENA / GAUCÍN A recent report by Andalucía's Department of the Environment (of which more later), plans for the construction of a dam between Jimena and Gaucín, called Gibralmedina and which is being given a budget of €171.6 million in today's Council session, which is approving a number of projects in the Campo de Gibraltar, and beyond, including expanding the water processing plant at San Roque, and watering facilities for the citrus plantations at San Martín del Tesorillo and San Pablo de Buceite, both within the municipality of Jimena and largely dependent on their annual crops. (See Vast reservoir project for Guadiaro River in planning stage)

Scam alert in Tarifa and Algeciras

TARIFA & ALGECIRAS Aqualia, the water company for Tarifa, announced yesterday that there may well be a scam going on that is using the company's name. It said in a communiqué that it had detected several phone calls to homes to inform the occupants that there is a problem with the water quality, leading to a visit to the home, alleging the need to analyse it - the aim  is to sell products, apparently. The same tactic has appeared in the El Rinconcillo section of Algeciras. Apparently the scam consists of trying to sell a 'flow reduction' gadget to be fitted to taps in the house. The company says that they do not carry out any kind of trade in this way, and that use of their name could be a crime. The quality of the water, it adds, meets all requirements and there is no question of any problems.

Your 'water' bill explained

Sample 'water' bill

We have had numerous enquiries about what is what on our water bills. What are we being charged for? Is it all water, or is rubbish collection included? So we thought we would offer an illustrated explanation of an itemised bill, which you will find below. This applies to Jimena but is probably extendable to all municipalities served by Arcgisa - if you could scan your bill (outside Jimena) and send it to us via e-mail, we'd be happy to help you understand it (providing we can).
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ITEMS SUCH AS THIS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SUBSCRIPTION IN THE FUTURE but you can make a donation NOW, too! Please click here for more information on how to help us continue. (This item took 54 minutes to produce.) >>>

Local reservoirs face dry summer at 71.85% capacity

Charco Redondo this weekend
(Photo: europasur.es)

Water is 23 points below last year's figures

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR (Agencies) There is certainly less water in the Campo reservoirs than last year, but experts say the situation is far from being a concern. Together, the three reservoirs that supply us (Charco Redondo in Los Barrios, Guadarranque in Castellar and Almodóvar in Tarifa) average 71.85% of capacity. This is 23 points below last year's figures but that was a particularly rainy winter. The experts say that there will be no need to be careful with our water usage this time around - as this is something that should be done at all times, even though droughts are cyclical.

Area reservoirs have enough water for the next two years

Guadarranque reservoir

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR (Agencies) A recent report by the Mancomunidad de Municipios says that there is enough water in the local reservoirs to last at least a couple of year. This stems from the balance made at the end of the 2010-2011 hydrologic year. Both reservoirs, Guadarranque and Charco Redondo were well fed by plenty of rain over that period, which, although showing less rainfall than the previous year, was nevertheless above the average. Guadarranque is at 80% of capacity and Charco Redondo at 72%, and water had to be released at the end of last winter. This winter, however, is expected to be drier than usual, so the reservoirs are nevertheless being carefully watched.

Campo reservoirs start new season at 80.4% capacity

Guadarranque (A.J Sepúlveda Rivera)

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR (Agencies) The new 'hydrological year' began on Saturday, that is, October 1st. And to mark the beginning of the season, the water authorities announced that the reservoirs at an overall 80.42% of their total capacity. Not bad if compared to last year's figures, when after a much rainier winter, water reserves were at 84.74%. In 2007, at the end of a drought period, the reserves were at only 56.8% - and this was the envy of the rest of the province, which was alarmed by their lack of reserve water and were in pre-alert mode. Thus, the three reservoirs in the Campo de Gibraltar area show the following figures: Almodóvar in Tarifa is at 60% capacity, and Charco Redondo, in Los Barrios at 73.2%; and Guadarranque in Castellar, at 88.5%.

Cadiz has enough water for another five or six years

Guadalcacín reservoir

CÁDIZ Even if it doesn't rain a lot for some time, the province has enough water to last for the next five or six years, according to the Agencia Andaluza del Agua (Andalucia Water Agency). What it calls a 'hydrological year' ends on September 30 and it has been particularly generous in filling the ten reservoirs within Cádiz to an acceptable degree although not quite reaching last year's level. They are at an average of 83.9% of their capacity, which menas that there is enough water to supply cities, industry and agriculture alike. The province's main reservoir at Guadalcacín is at 82.6% of its capacity, some distance from its record capacity of 91.8% of March last year, which prompted emergency plans to release water, an event that had not been seen in 16 years, but was not necessary. The other four largest reservoirs in the province are similarly full: Zahara-El Gastor is at 98%, while those at Los Hurones, Bornos and Barbate hold 81%.

Jimena began getting water from Majarambú yesterday

Reservoir at Castellar

JIMENA (Press release) Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar announced that the municipality of Jimena is receiving water from the aquifer at Majarambú, in Castellar, as from yesterday, Wednesday. This aquifer, the wells of which are now supplying Jimena, could also supply Castellar with drinking water should this be necessary. The new supply complements that of the Guadiaro River, which on occasions was not quite enough. Jimena will have three alternative drinking water sources: the Guadiaro River, the wells at Majarambú and, in a near future, that of the connection with the Guadarranque reservoir.

Western Beach to reopen this weekend

GIBRALTAR (Government press release) Western Beach consistently had excellent bacterial water quality prior to 2010. Towards the end of the 2010 bathing season the Government was obliged to close the beach on public health grounds as a consequence of the bacterial contamination the Western Beach Basin emanating from the La Linea drains system. The La Linea Administration have been conducting some improvements on their sewerage system which would improve the situation, in that sewage would not systemically overflow into the storm drains. The overflow continues to be manually controlled so the incidence of further contamination is heavily influenced by the effectiveness of their control of the switchover valve installed and the quantity and duration of any heavy rainfall.>

Emalgesa warns of water quality test scam

ALGECIRAS (Agencies) The municipal water company, Emalgesa, warned yesterday that a scam had been detected recently whereby people were knocking on doors saying that there were problems with the quality of the water in town and making an appointment to test the water inside the home. Several residents had called the company to report these incidents. A supposed 'water company' person would then inform of the need to buy 'water reduction' kits for the taps. Emalgesa states that it never carries out this kind of commercial activity and that the possible use of its name is totally illegal. Several of the people reporting these visits have also been left uneasy about the quality of the water, both in the taps as well as bottled but the company says that it is confident about the quality without the need to enter anyone's home. Regular tests are carried out>

Water network breakdown leaves large part of La Linea without water for almost a day

(Photo: Europa Sur)

LA LINEA (Agencies) A breakage in the water supply network yesterday left a large part of La Linea, the barrio known as Los Junquillos without water for almost 24 hours. A burst mains pipe was the cause, the repairs for which were severely hindered by an ARCGISA garbage truck that fell into a hole caused by the burst pipe, very close to the place that suffered most damage. This happened at about one a.m. on Tuesday morning, when the lorry was approaching some containers to empty the them. The rush of water under the surface made a hole below, and the lorry fell in. It had to be removed by a very large crane, thus delaying repairs on the burst mains.

ARCGISA closes 2009 with €4 million loss

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR
The 'public participation' company run from Mancomunidad de Municipios, ARCGISA (Aguas y Residuos del Campo de Gibraltar S.A.), closed its 2009 financial year with a loss of €4,000,000, according to the company's statement. Our readers will have seen the name on their water bills, but the company carries out several different activities throughout the Campo, though not all services in all the municipalities. Headquartered at the Mancomunidad offices in Los Barrios, ARCGISA  carries out the following:>