Water catastrophe forgotten by Coín

Some weeks ago this newspaper received a plea for help from one of our readers who wishes to remain anonymous and who lives with his wife on the Miralmonte urbanisation halfway between Coín and Alhaurín el Grande.

The current drought in the area is taking its toll on families and businesses like never before, and some local authorities are doing less than others. Residents told Euro Weekly News how their urbanisation of some 64 houses relies on a mere two deliveries of water per week to a communal water deposit which runs out in a matter of hours. The water is brought by lorry from the ‘Nacimiento de Coín’ on what must be an excessively expensive and inefficient method of water distribution. Some of the large houses on the streets of Miralmonte have been abandoned with gardens left to overgrow.

Residents buy in delivered water at high prices

Meanwhile, even though this area, or ‘urbanisation’ is not denoted as ‘rustic’, families have to buy in their own water deliveries at exorbitant prices just for basic subsistence living. When asked, Coín council did not want to comment on the situation referring us to the administrator of the urbanisation, who in turn confirmed everything residents had already said.

€27,000 on a new well that draws no water

In 2023, Coín council spent a whopping €27,000 on installing a new well, but the drilling didn’t go deep enough and barely any water comes out. For this reason they continue attempting to deliver 50,000 litres a week by lorry. Compounding the issue, there is another draw on that aquifer: a massive avocado plantation overlooking Miralmonte. 

One of the owners of the Miralmonte restaurant at the entrance of the urbanisation tells us he has to bring his own water in from his home to be able to operate the his business. Miralmonte watches as their lives dry up including vulnerable, elderly residents who live alone on the urbanisation with little or no running water and whose homes are linked by treacherous potholed streets.