These are the numbers for Arcgisa that you don't have to pay for

Our recent article, Your 'water' bill explained, carried a heartfelt complaint about the 902 number that was rarely answered. A kind reader who wishes to remain anonymous said, "These are the numbers to call (if you have free national calls with your ADSL, or broadband) in order to avoid paying the cost of a 902 call: Land line 956 675 183, Fax 956 676 703 - as long as they haven't been cut off." Of course, your call or fax would have to be in Spanish.

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Your 'water' bill explained

Sample 'water' bill

We have had numerous enquiries about what is what on our water bills. What are we being charged for? Is it all water, or is rubbish collection included? So we thought we would offer an illustrated explanation of an itemised bill, which you will find below. This applies to Jimena but is probably extendable to all municipalities served by Arcgisa - if you could scan your bill (outside Jimena) and send it to us via e-mail, we'd be happy to help you understand it (providing we can).
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PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ITEMS SUCH AS THIS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SUBSCRIPTION IN THE FUTURE but you can make a donation NOW, too! Please click here for more information on how to help us continue. (This item took 54 minutes to produce.)

Protest against Arcgisa charges rise

Arcgisa HQ, Los Barrios

JIMENA The Plataforma de Parados (Unemployed 'platform', or group) announced recently that it planning to organize a protest, including signed petitions, against an imminent price rise in charges from Arcgisa, the Mancomunidad company that provides water, sewage, street cleaning and rubbish collection. The organization considers the rises 'abusive' and impacting directly on 'families, and especially, the unemployed'. The campaign is to be titled Di que no (Say No). The Plataforma has been contacting all political parties with a view to protest against something they consider 'inappropriate for the times we live in.' The brief story behind Arcgisa is as follows:>>>

Water was cut off without notice

JIMENA Water supply to the lower part of the village, as well as Estación and Marchenilla, was cut this morning at 9am. The Town Hall tells us that it will be restored by 3pm. The only announcement about which we are aware was via TioJimeno. But then, there is a significant segment of the population that either has no internet connection or does not look at TioJimeno. We are told that the matter was in the hands of Arcgisa -the same people who collect our rubbish and charge more heavily than anywhere for the privilege. Arcgisa, a large multi-municipal local company, does not have a press office but 'a man' tells us that notifications were sent out. Yes, to the Town Hall, who failed to notify a good proportion of the population of today's event. As is too often the case, the Town Hall washes its hands of the matter, passing the buck. Yet they have plenty of staff that could be put to better use distributing proper notifications - they do a good job with electoral propaganda, after all. Nevertheless, we have a promise that we will henceforth be notified of local incidents by our local water office.

Jimena began getting water from Majarambú yesterday

Reservoir at Castellar

JIMENA (Press release) Mancomunidad de Municipios del Campo de Gibraltar announced that the municipality of Jimena is receiving water from the aquifer at Majarambú, in Castellar, as from yesterday, Wednesday. This aquifer, the wells of which are now supplying Jimena, could also supply Castellar with drinking water should this be necessary. The new supply complements that of the Guadiaro River, which on occasions was not quite enough. Jimena will have three alternative drinking water sources: the Guadiaro River, the wells at Majarambú and, in a near future, that of the connection with the Guadarranque reservoir.

If you got a reduction on your water and sewer rates last year, this is for you

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR (BOP) Users of the water and sewer services offered by ARCGISA (almost, but not all of the Campo municipalities) and were the beneficiary last year of a discount in rates (available for pensioners, unemployed, etc.), you will get the same reduction this year without having to renew your request. The Boletín Oficial de la Provincia (BOP) says so, so it's the law. Renovation for 2012, however, will be applied for between October and December this year. More information on 902 550 199, or at your local Town Hall.

Water cut in San Pablo tomorrow morning

ARCGISA, the water company, announces that water supply to San Pablo will be cut off tomorrow morning, from 9am to 1pm due to maintenance and improvements to the system.

Reader's Question: What's the matter with the water?

(By e-mail, and by phone yesterday) "Why has the water in Jimena turned dark and murky? Can we drink it?" Don't worry, it happens quite often, especially in the summer. It is a stage prior to putting in the chlorine that turns it white. Officially, it is perfectly drinkable, but would you want to? (Prospero note: Thanks for this one, people, I was alarmed in the shower yesterday and this morning! Took the photo this morning but wasn't wearing me glasses; sorry.)

Mayor and Councillor visit roadworks

(Press release) Mayor Pascual Collado and Councillor for Public Works Fernando Gómez visited the roadworks on Calle Sevilla accompanied by the supervising engineer, Javier Moreno, who explained some of the details involved. These included the fact that housing connections to the main water supply and sewage system are being replaced at the same time as the principal system; also, that several rain catchments will be installed to better control the water flowng down the street. Work, which started on May 17 and is being carried out by Arcgisa, is expected to take six months.

Reservoirs at capacity levels release water

(Agencies) The Provincial Delegation for the Environment announced yesterday that all the area's reservoirs continue to release water through controlled sluice gates that have remained open since before the end of last year. The One at Guadarranque (Castellar - photo) does so at a rate of 30m2/second, Charco Redondo (Los Barrios) at 18m2/sec and that at Almodóvar (Tarifa), at 86% capacity, at 7m2/sec.

Water for everyone

(Agencies) The trasvase, or transfer, of water from the Guadiaro river to the Majaceite on the other side of the province of Cádiz, has moved 23 cubic hectometres since it was opened on December 21. The water thus transferred is used exclusively by the population of the province, according to rules established by the Agencia Andaluza del Agua, which is the equivalent of one million inhabitants or a quarter of the annual water supply in that area. But this is not the only consequence of recent rainfall as the Charco Redondo (photo) and Guadarranque reservoirs have received up to 32 cubic hectometres since December 28.

Junta invests €1.75 million to improve water supply for Jimena and Castellar

(Agencies) The Council for the Environment, through the Water Agency of Andalucía, has begun work on water supply to Jimena and Castellar (Photo: EuropaSur). The project, which will cost some €1,750,000, is aimed at improving both the quality and quantity of the water presently available to the municipalities. Work has begun at the Majarambú wells in Castellar, from where it will be pumped to the water treatment plant (WTP) at Arenillas, from where the pipes will take the water to the municipalities. The underwater pumps to be used will have a capacity of 20 litres per second. The project also includes more pipes for Castellar that will eventually be attached to the Campo de Gibraltar's general network.