Almost 2,000 residents of Ten-Bel, in Costa del Silencio in the south of Tenerife, have been experiencing water outages over the past two weeks. The affected people, spread across seven residential complexes, have voiced frustration, blaming poor maintenance of the private water distribution network for the disruptions.
The water supply, which serves the area from a centre less than two kilometres away, is managed by a private company. According to residents, the distribution infrastructure has been neglected for over 30 years, resulting in frequent outages whenever technical issues or pipe breaks occur.
The local authorities have suggested that the issue might be linked to pipe calcification, which would require a system-wide purification process.
The severity of the water cuts varies depending on the distance of each complex from the supply centre. Those closest to the supply experience shorter disruptions, while those farther away, particularly near Las Galletas, face longer interruptions.
For example, residents of Residencial El Drago have reported nightly water cuts starting around 8:30pm, and lasting until 9 or 10:00am the following day. In Alborada, the cuts begin at 11:30pm and extend until 10 or 11am.
Many of these complexes not only have residents living there but also holidaymakers staying via Airbnb and other platforms, who are also being left without water.
In response to the ongoing water supply issues, some residents have taken matters into their own hands. They have pooled resources to install water tanks as a backup supply during outages. One resident from a complex of 300 people explained that after collecting €100 from each household, they raised €30,000 to purchase three 5,000-litre water tanks. "It’s a preventative measure. They’ve already been installed, and we should be able to use them soon," he said.
Although these efforts will provide some relief, residents continue to call for long-term solutions and proper maintenance of the water supply infrastructure.
