Tenerife II: The prison will get an independent water supply after protests over water cuts

The mayor of the city, Escolástico Gil, reported that a project has been developed to ensure a stable water supply to the Tenerife II prison, even when water is scarce. The project is called "Water Supply and Drainage Networks from the La Cañada Well to the Tenerife II Correctional Center." The documents have already been submitted to the Tenerife Water Council and the road service for consideration in order to obtain all the necessary permits.

Gil emphasized that these works will definitively solve the water problem, as the prison will have its own independent water supply system. This will make it more self-sufficient and help avoid the interruptions that occur now. The city council believes that this is the best way to guarantee a reliable water supply for the correctional center.

"Now we are counting on the support of the state, the government of the Canary Islands, and the local authorities of Tenerife to jointly finance these works. This will solve the problem that arises every summer once and for all," the mayor added.

Gil spoke about this to a representative of the workers of the Tenerife II prison and the coordinator of the "Your Abandonment Can Kill Me" (Tampm) union, Nacho Fernández, during a meeting that was also attended by union leader Pablo Tortajada.

The Tampm union has begun protests near the prison in El Rosario due to water supply problems. Fernández stated that the restrictions will continue until the prison management solves the problem, which "affects the dignity of the workers and may threaten their safety."

During the meeting, Fernández reported that they will demand an inspection of the internal water supply system of the prison, as they suspect "large water losses inside."

He also noted that they are "not satisfied with the water supply data from the El Rosario City Council, given the restrictions that the prison management imposes on inmates and workers." He informed the mayor that they will request a meeting with representatives of the government and other authorities of the Canary Islands.

Escolástico Gil expressed concern about the possible consequences for the prison, and especially for the residents of Llano del Moro and La Esperanza. The mayor emphasized that "the city council has been warning about the problem and working on it for many years. The problem is not that we are not giving water to the prison, but that the water we supply cannot be stored in the prison because its reservoir is not large enough."

He added: "We also do not know the condition of their internal pipes after 37 years of the prison's existence, and the state has done nothing to solve this problem."

Nacho Fernández from the Tampm union warned that "if the situation does not change, it could lead to serious security problems in the prison."

The first protest by Tenerife II prison workers took place last Monday "in protest against the constant water outages that have been going on for several weeks." Currently, workers and inmates only have water from 7:00 to 9:00, from 13:00 to 15:00, and from 19:00 to 21:00.