The Los Manantiales urbanization in Alhaurín de la Torre is in a critical situation due to the lack of water supply, affecting approximately 200 families. The breakdown of the well pump supplying the area has highlighted the conflict between residents and the City Council over the management of water infrastructure.
Residents have called for a protest in front of the City Hall to demand the execution of a court ruling that, they claim, obliges the City Council to assume the urbanization's public services. Affected parties denounce that the City Council is conditioning the urbanization's reception on the cession of the well's management.
The municipal version indicates that water supply problems are recurrent in summer due to the private management of the well, cistern, and distribution facilities by the urbanization. The City Council reiterates its willingness to assume service management but insists on the need for a formal agreement from the property owners' association to cede the use of the facilities.
The lack of water, which began last week after the breakdown of the pumping system and solar panels, particularly affects elderly individuals who cannot travel to buy bottled water. Residents reject the municipal proposal to first repair the private facilities before negotiating their incorporation into the municipal system.
After requesting emergency water last Friday, the City Council has announced it will provide approximately 180 liters per registered resident daily starting this Monday, although they warn of pressure issues that hinder supply in higher areas.
The resident protest, also expressed on social media, emphasizes that "five days without water is not a mere inconvenience" but "a matter of health, safety, and dignity," recalling that "water is not a luxury, it is a right."
The mayor, Joaquín Villanova, met with urbanization representatives and, as an urgent measure, the municipal well Pinos 1 has been activated to transfer water to Los Manantiales and other urbanizations, in addition to inspecting the cistern and cleaning a disused pipeline.
The municipal government will send a letter to the owners detailing that extraordinary supply will begin this Tuesday, subject to drought restrictions and limited to domestic consumption. The conflict centers on the interpretation of the court ruling, with residents demanding direct assumption of the service and the City Council requesting the cession of infrastructure management.
The City Council recalls that it formally requested the management cession on July 7th and maintains that the community has not yet convened the necessary owners' meeting to put the proposal to a vote. Meanwhile, residents demand a definitive solution.
