Junta issues warning on Alcaidesa water supply

The Junta de Andalucia issued a notice on Wednesday telling people that potable water distributed to Alcaidesa was not suitable for human consumption.

The Junta said the water contained trihalomethanes that exceeded permissible levels, adding the warning affected only residences in Alcaidesa.

No other area of the Campo was affected, it stressed.

According to the Junta, trihalomethanes are a by-product of chlorine disinfection of the water following a reaction with organic matter.

It said low levels in reservoirs as a result of months of drought meant there were higher than normal amounts of organic matter in the water.

That in turn required adjustment of chlorine levels too, as well as other agents used to treat the water.

Alcaidesa’s water distribution network, the Junta said, was designed to accommodate high seasonal demand.

In the winter, when occupation levels and thus demand were lower, water can sit in the distribution network for longer periods than usual, meaning the chlorine has more time to react with any organic matter.

“This is the most probable reason why legal limits have been exceeded in Alcaidesa,” the Junta said.

It added though that European water regulations were stricter than in other parts of the world and that the levels of trihalomethanes detected were “well below any risk to health”.

It said the step taken demonstrated the strict controls in place.

On Wednesday, over 600 large bottles of mineral water were distributed in Alcaidesa.