The inhabitants of Las Médulas (León, 75 inhabitants) were right in their summer premonitions when they warned that the damage from the fires would be long-lasting: in addition to the decades of damage to the landscape, as soon as it rained they found themselves without drinking water. The perennial ash on the ground has leaked into the aquifers and wells from which they are fed and their supply is “not suitable for consumption”, according to a group from the Municipality of Carucedo on which they depend, urging people not to drink from the tap due to the high volume of manganese. Residents resort to bottles and jugs while they regret that the recent investment of 400,000 euros in works to guarantee their flow has not helped. “We don’t understand how, after such a huge investment and so many promises, we are still without drinking water,” read a statement from the injured parties.
Residents have taken advantage of visits by authorities in the weeks following the serious fires that devastated the surroundings of this World Heritage site, with a very precious deposit of Roman gold, to warn that in addition to recovering this incomparable asset, we must also take care of the residents.
“The neighbors remember that both the Junta de Castilla y León and the Las Médulas Foundation are used to publicly expressing their concern for the conservation of the World Heritage site, but they forget about the people who live in the very heart of the monument, the inhabitants of the municipality of Las Médulas, who do not have water suitable for domestic use”, they complain in the message sent to the media.
“We are concerned about the heritage, but we are also part of it. Without the neighbors, Las Médulas would have no life and no future.” The locals do not understand how, after spending 400,000 euros so that Carucedo could provide them with water in case of shortages, he has not stopped the brown water from coming out of their taps as in recent weeks. Neighbors recalled that, in addition to this current problem, they often find themselves without adequate supply in summer due to the massive influx of visitors who resort to inefficient infrastructure and services.
Mónica Pérez, 52 years old, resident of Las Médulas, expresses herself like this: “Above all, we are indignant. You can imagine what it means to depend on purchased water for absolutely everything: drinking, cooking, washing food… And, as if that wasn’t enough, seeing so many elderly neighbors who can’t go out to buy water while the administrations, as usual, have completely abandoned us. No one here has bothered to bring a single jug.”
Pérez dates back to August and experts’ warnings that as soon as it started raining, runoff often formed and ash on the ground could leak into wells or aquifers: “The most unfortunate thing is that it was something predictable. Everyone expected it… except them, it seems.” The complainants have been doing so since this Wednesday, when the city council of Carucedo published a municipal declaration in which it asked that tap water not be drunk in Las Médulas due to the risk posed by toxic substances.
“According to the latest analyzes carried out on the quality of drinking water, values that are not recommended for human consumption have been detected”, reads the local press release. The mayor of Carucedo, Alfonso Fernández (PSOE), believes that “the trawlers could be responsible for the contamination: “We have had analyzes done by various bodies: public health, CSIC, Municipality and also the Las Médulas Foundation, in one it came out with a high percentage of manganese, in another much less and we believe it comes from a well.”
“We need a counter-analysis”, comments the councilor, who claims to clean the tanks and assures that “they will send the water from the Carucedo tanks with which we will supply the city of Médulas without problems”.
