On Tenerife, residents are being given water due to excessive fluoride content in the water supply.
In Buenavista del Norte, the local government has organized the distribution of drinking water due to the excessive fluoride content in the tap water, which is causing inconvenience to residents.
In the town of Buenavista del Norte, to solve the problem of excessive fluoride content in the water, the local authorities organized the distribution of bottled drinking water. Locals joke: "Are we going to live like this for the rest of our lives?" One of the residents came to get his 24 liters of water (that's three 8-liter bottles). His family needs 48 liters a week.
About two months ago, it was announced that the tap water in the areas of El Palmar, Las Portelas, Las Lagunetas, Barranco Las Palmas, La Sabina, and the upper part of Casablanca had too much fluoride.
According to official data, more than 400 people live in these areas in the northwest of Tenerife. Every Tuesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., they come to get water for cooking and drinking.
On Friday, September 12, at about 12:30 p.m., three residents of El Palmar entered the local cultural center. This is where the water is distributed. Although there wasn't much left until the end of the distribution – about 5 blocks of 10 bottles each – there were initially 500 bottles, which is almost 4,000 liters of water. "We are told that they are doing tests, checking the water, but the problem remains," complains one of the men. "If there is no other way out, we have to come," they say. Although it is not very convenient to collect water twice a week, there is no other option. "We never had to get our own water before. But the distribution is well organized, and six bottles a week is enough for us," they add.
While people in El Palmar are getting water, the same thing is happening in the Las Portelas cultural center. More than 4,000 liters of water were distributed there that day.
The local authorities of Buenavista del Norte issue three 8-liter bottles of water per family per day. If the family is large, they can get five bottles. For bars and restaurants, they issue ten bottles or as many as needed. If people have pets or livestock, they are also given extra bottles.
Many elderly people live in these areas, so neighbors help each other. Local administration employees or residents themselves deliver water to the elderly and people with disabilities.
The areas of Buenavista del Norte where excess fluoride was found receive water from the Altos de Icod gallery. This water has long had problems with the content of this mineral. This is the only source of water for these mountainous areas in the northwest of Tenerife. There is no such problem in the city center and in other mountainous areas such as Masca, Teno Alto, or Los Carrizales. The Altos de Icod gallery also supplies water to municipalities such as Icod de los Vinos.
The mayor of Buenavista del Norte, Eva García Herrera, explains that this situation "is not uncommon in the summer. We believe that people use tap water not only for drinking, so less water comes from the gallery, and its quality deteriorates." She refers to the water purification carried out by the Cabildo de Tenerife.
The island organization has not offered the local authorities of Buenavista any alternatives: "We have asked to increase the flow of water, but this cannot be done quickly," says the mayor.
For now, according to García Herrera, the distribution and purchase of water "is the responsibility of the municipality. We must help families who cannot afford to buy water and provide them with an alternative."