Santa Cruz de Tenerife Council Faces Scrutiny Over Pest Infestations and Water Supply Failures
Santa Cruz de Tenerife officials are addressing public criticism over a recent rodent infestation and water supply failures by revising concession contracts and proposing subsidies for private building infrastructure.
Public services in Santa Cruz de Tenerife are under fire following a municipal oversight committee meeting where Councilor Carlos Tarife addressed recent failures. The City Council admitted that poor oversight of administrative concessions led to a rodent infestation in the central Plaza del Príncipe this past summer.
According to officials, the infestation was caused by organic waste buildup under a kiosk that had not been properly sanitized before being handed over. To prevent this from happening again, the Council plans to update future tender contracts, requiring concessionaires to complete a full disinfection before returning any municipal property. This incident follows similar pest outbreaks in neighborhoods like El Sobradillo, La Gallega, and Ofra, which the local government says have since been resolved.
The opposition Socialist group, led by spokesperson Patricia Hernández, has criticized the current cleaning protocols. Hernández raised concerns about the maintenance of the cleaning fleet, specifically noting that many vehicles used to wash waste containers are not fully operational. In response, the head of Public Services defended the city’s 157,000-euro annual pest control contract. He attributed the rise in rodents to a mix of factors, including higher temperatures, waste management issues at outdoor terraces, and the public’s failure to follow trash disposal rules.
The meeting also addressed water supply issues that affected several districts last month. To combat complaints about low water pressure, the government has proposed a new subsidy for homeowners' associations. This would help fund the installation of pumping systems in buildings taller than 15 meters, marking a rare instance of public funding being used to upgrade private infrastructure to ensure reliable water access.
Finally, the council reviewed an August technical failure at the Vuelta Grande reservoir, which left nearly 8,000 residents in Tío Pino, García Escámez, and Chamberí without water. The councilor noted that repairs were completed in under 24 hours and were followed by upgrades to the El Suculum network. He also denied claims that the water provider, Emmasa, had intentionally reduced pressure, insisting that the municipal network continues to meet all regulatory standards.