The delegate president of the Water Consortium, Andrés Stinga, states that what is happening with the supply in Lanzarote and La Graciosa is "difficult to explain." "Canal is in a situation that, in my point of view, what it wants is to leave, but with its pockets full of money from the people of Lanzarote. And as soon as it can, it blames the Consortium, the Cabildo, or whoever, except itself," he says.
In fact, he maintains that what the concessionaire company is doing is "seeking confrontation," especially with the latest statements it has sent regarding the breakdowns in the underwater pipeline that carries water to La Graciosa.
Regarding that pipeline, Stinga has confirmed that Canal bought a new one years ago, when Pedro San Ginés presided over the institution, as CC pointed out a few days ago. "It could not be installed because it did not have permission or authorizations. From my point of view, the procedure is to do a project and then tender it, not to buy 40,000 euros worth of pipe that cannot be placed," he questioned on Radio Lanzartote – Onda Cero.
In addition, he added that the pipe they bought is 90 millimeters, which could be "insufficient" with the current consumption of La Graciosa.
He sees no reason to declare a water emergency
Regarding the situation of the eighth island, the councilor acknowledges that "there is a problem," with the two breakdowns over the weekend and another this Thursday, but emphasizes that all of them have been resolved without going a full day without water in the reserves, and does not consider that a water emergency should be declared.
"I don't want to blame anyone, but it is clear that we have to have tanks, reserves, because at any moment this type of breakdown can arise, which the island of Lanzarote also suffers," he added, recalling the supply problems that occur especially in municipalities such as San Bartolomé and Tinajo.
"The Cabildo has made a series of projects that will be carried out with works through Fdcan and will be resolved shortly," he assured. As for La Graciosa, he says that "the president is also worried" and that the intention is to entrust "as soon as possible" the work of installing a new pipeline to the Government of the Canary Islands, "because they have more facility to do it much faster."
However, he insists that it will not be a quick process, due to the environmental conditions of the area in order to obtain permits. "The Cabildo has no problem finding 100,000 euros to place the pipeline, the problem is the procedures required by the island." In addition, he reiterates that homes must have tanks or cisterns, and that Canal must resolve breakdowns in less than 24 hours.
To this he adds that according to the contract, "the concessionaire has the obligation to cover not only the expenses necessary for maintenance and conservation, but also the repair of the facilities necessary for the operation of the service."
"Indeed, the Consortium will also have been at fault and will have had to do some works as we have started in Tinajo and San Bartolomé, and probably also in La Graciosa, but what we cannot do is that every time there is a breakdown it is the fault of the Consortium," he defends.
Now, he says that they are studying other alternatives, such as La Graciosa having its own desalination plant. "It is true that until this happened, no one remembered La Graciosa, neither Canal Gestión nor the Consortium, but not in this legislature but in the past ones. The pipeline was working normally, no one warned me of the problem that there was in the pipeline. The Cabildo has requested meetings on two occasions to tell us where the problems are and Canal has not come," he says, pointing out that the company has now been reiterated that requirement, requesting Canal "an emergency plan as soon as possible."
Pending investments to be justified
The councilor has also stressed that the company continues without justifying the investments committed in the contract. Thus, although Canal claims to have invested 50,700,000 euros, so far only 3.2 million euros have been approved by the Consortium. Of what has been reviewed so far, there are 56 works with "rectification requirement," worth 2 million euros, and rejected works, for a total of more than 13 million.
"The other lots still need to be reviewed, but many have been definitively rejected because we consider that they are investments that had to be made by obligation," apart from the investment plan, "and others are breach of the contract law," says Stinga.
In addition, the Consortium has opened 13 penalty files to Canal Gestión for various breaches, many of them with sanctions of more than 50,000 euros, although the company appealed in court and are pending judgment.
"Water never failed with Inalsa. Other things were missing and I am not going to defend what Inalsa was, but water was not missing to the farmers," he added when talking about what the privatization of this service has meant.
Finally, the councilor has also referred to the relationship with the Teguise City Council, which has also blamed the Consortium for the situation in La Graciosa. "I am surprised. The mayor was talking to me on Monday morning, everything was explained to him and everything was very good. But it seems that every time you give him an artichoke or a microphone, it seems that this gentleman grows and does the opposite," he questioned.
In addition, he has asked Oswaldo Betancort to "attend the meetings," since as mayor he is represented in the Water Consortium, which belongs to the Cabildo and the seven city councils.
