Four years of drought is beginning to take its toll as Competa and Arenas introduce water restrictions.
In the town of Arenas, population 1,523, there is now only water for ten hours a day. The rest of the time is used to recharge the local water deposits. The mayoress of Arenas, Basilia Pareja, said that introducing restrictions is the only way to ensure that some residents, principally those living in the higer areas of the town, actually get any water at all.
Arenas shares its water supply with Sayalonga and Canillas de Aceituno, the source of the supply actually being in Canillas. However, Canillas de Aceituna retains most of the supply as it has a lot of houses in the countryside, many with swimming pools.
In Competa it is the people living in the countryside who are suffering the most from the drought with water only available at night. Around 2,000 people are affected by the restrictions, mostly foreign residents. One of the wells which supplies the town has already dried up and attempts to drill new ones have so far failed.