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Water for flushing toilets returns to Mar Menor, but drinking water may not be available until this Thursday
Water restrictions remain in place across Mar Menor towns after the contamination from DANA storm Alice, and authorities are now saying that drinking water may not be restored until midweek
After more than a week of disruption following the passage of storm Alice through Murcia, residents of San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar and Los Alcázares are still unable to drink or cook with tap water.Although the Taibilla Canals Association (MCT) has restored supplies across the affected areas, the water is currently only considered safe for uses such as flushing toilets and personal hygiene.
The drinking water ban, which has impacted more than 100,000 people, was first introduced on the weekend of October 18 when intense rainfall from the storm flooded the Region of Murcia and damaged infrastructure managed by the MCT. Run-off water infiltrated the supply network, compromising its quality and forcing the agency to declare it unfit for human consumption.
While water pressure has returned to normal in most areas, officials warn that the restrictions will likely remain in place until at least Wednesday or Thursday.
This is because, before the water can be deemed safe to drink, it must pass microbiological analyses carried out by the Regional Ministry of Health. These tests, which typically take around 72 hours, are necessary to verify that the contamination has been fully cleared.
The MCT itself has declined to give an exact timeframe for when normal service will resume, but sources from the Regional Ministry say teams are “working at full capacity” to accelerate the testing process.
Once results confirm that the water is suitable for consumption, municipal water management companies will be immediately informed, allowing councils to lift the restrictions.
Over the weekend, residents saw a small improvement as the water was declared safe for washing and showering. The change has been reflected in shorter queues at emergency water distribution points, where fewer people were seen collecting bottled water on Sunday compared with the previous week.
Los Alcázares, which has been among the hardest-hit municipalities, continues to press for compensation. Last Thursday, Mayor Mario Pérez Cervera sent an official request to the Taibilla Canals Association calling for a dedicated compensation fund to cover damages suffered by residents and businesses, as well as reimbursement for the council’s emergency response costs.
Green soup in the Mar Menor
Meanwhile, scientists are voicing concern about the environmental aftermath of the storm. Experts from the Belich Project, coordinated by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC), have reported a sharp rise in chlorophyll levels in the Mar Menor following the recent cold drop.
They warn that the combination of heat and calm weather forecast for the coming days could trigger another episode of the so-called “green soup”— a rapid bloom of microalgae that depletes oxygen in the lagoon and disrupts the fragile ecosystem.
Image: Ayuntamiento de San Javier
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