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Residents are left feeling abandoned by their council and denied of a basic right.
Credit: EWN
Imagine yourself living in rural Spain for many years, maybe even 20. You will enjoy the tranquility and peace of the countryside and get to know your Spanish neighbors. You turn on the water in the morning and nothing happens.
The water may return the next day. Then, it goes away again. Two days is the average duration of an interruption, five for another, and in some cases, even longer.
This is the reality for residents of Alora’s Canca district, who don’t know when the next rainfall will occur.
Families in Llomillas de Canca have complained about the unavoidable and repeated interruptions of their water supply. Some claim that they have experienced almost daily interruptions since April.
The water disappears without warning
Residents report that interruptions can range from a few days to several weeks, and one outage lasted eight days. Residents say that there are no warnings and they don’t know why or when the water will be back.
Households without storage tanks may suffer serious consequences. Residents have reported being unable wash their clothes, flush toilets or shower when the water supply is cut off.
To get by, some have had to buy bottled water or drive to the supermarket to collect water.
Spending Thousands of dollars to cope
Many homeowners, who never thought they would need their private water reserve, have decided to take matters into their hands. Residents have spent thousands on installing tanks and others have paid for tanker deliveries. The extra costs were added to their regular municipal water bills.
Residents find this difficult to accept, as they had expected reliable water when they purchased their property in the historic Canca region. Some residents have lived there for a long time, even nearly 30 years in one case, and claim that the water supply was reliable. Some say they now cannot plan their life around the supply.
After months of insufficient watering, residents have also reported that their gardens are suffering. They report dead plants and trees. Animals are also at risk, they say, because it is difficult to maintain a reliable water supply.
Residents have expressed concern about the quality of water that returns. They report instances when the little water flowing through is full of sand and gravel.
Problems that go back many years
The residents of Andalucia say the problems have existed for some time. The residents claim that things have worsened in the last 15 month, resulting in the multiple interruptions of water supply throughout 2026. “An elderly resident had written to the Mayor in previous years after they reported having experienced 38 collective days without drinking water.” Her request for assistance was ignored by council.
Alora residents want to know where their water is being sent
The location makes the situation particularly It is difficult for locals to understand. Alora lies in the Guadalhorce Vally, a valley with a long agricultural tradition and a close connection to Malaga Province’s main reservoirs.
The water situation in Spain has also dramatically changed during 2026, after months of heavy rainfall brought reservoir levels up In Andalucia, water is plentiful in many areas. Canca residents have asked how they can find themselves repeatedly without water while the wider region has experienced periods of abundant supply.
They don’t claim to know what the technical reasons are for the interruptions. They are looking for an explanation as well as a solution. They are most concerned that water can appear to disappear and return suddenly, without warning. This leaves residents in the dark as to whether an interruption is going last an hour or a few days.
Residents complain that promises haven’t been fulfilled
More than six residents have requested to meet with Alora’s Mayor. The meeting scheduled for 6 August was cancelled 15 hours before the date. Residents have made repeated phone calls and even visited the Town Hall to try to set up another appointment.
Residents have also asked for assistance from opposition councillors. According to the people involved, one of the responses was blunt: “The mayor doesn’t listen us.” You only have to go to the media.” Residents are doing exactly that.
The peaceful countryside is transformed into uncertainty
Canca is a place where people choose to live. The issue is more complex than if the faucet works one morning. In the countryside, water is essential. Water is essential for gardens, animals, houses and daily routines.
Residents have said that they spent years building up their lives. Many live happily with Spanish neighbours, and enjoy the rural lifestyle for which they came to Spain. Now, residents say they are unsure if they will have access to water the next day.
They want to know why the cuts are occurring, when they will be restored and how little notice is given when another one occurs.
Until they receive those answers, families in this corner of the Guadalhorce Valley say they will continue filling containers, buying bottled water and checking their taps — waiting to find out whether the water will stay on.
In rural Spain, water, or its lack, is a major issue. Not here in the idyllic Guadalhorce Valley where the residents claim they simply want something that is taken for granted by most: a working tap.
