Since last Thursday, October 26, the Tordera City Council (Maresme) has applied a new ordinance that should serve to continue working to raise awareness among citizens of good consumption and rational use of water. Penalties for wasting water can reach 1,500 euros.
Given the exceptional drought situation that the country is experiencing, Tordera thus completes the process of regulating infractions for the waste of network water in drought situations. The plenary session of the month of July approved the ordinance that will be applicable in the event that a drought situation has been decreed, whether in the alert phase, in the exceptional phase or in the emergency phase. An episode of exceptionality that is current today.
As explained by the Councilor for the Environment, Sergi Masó, this tool "transfers to the municipal level the measures and restrictions of the Special Action Plan in situations of alert and eventual drought (called PES) at the municipal level, indicating the actions that are not allowed in a state of drought, the limit values of consumption per inhabitant and day, the inspection and control criteria are established as well as the classification of infractions and sanctioning process.
Given the alarming problem that the lack of water represents, the Tordera City Council chaired by Elisabet Mejías considers that it is necessary to influence the behavior of users and provide the council with the necessary control elements to be able to sanction those behaviors that are not aimed at correct and responsible management of a resource as important as water. The new ordinance was approved with the favorable votes of the majority of political groups except VOX, which voted against.
This ordinance will apply in the event that a drought situation has been declared, whether in the alert phase, in the exceptional phase or in the emergency phase. This is a series of measures that affect the use of water from the drinking water distribution network where use above the established limits (liters/inhabitant and day) and other activities such as watering gardens and green areas, filling swimming pools or cleaning the streets among others.
The same ordinance proposes a sanctioning regime according to which failure to comply with the marked consumption limits or the execution of unauthorized actions can be punished with fines ranging from €500 for minor sanctions up to €1,500 for which refers to very serious sanctions.
