British expats in an exclusive part of Spain have been given a warning they will face a £5,000 fine after “ignoring” drought rules.
In a press conference last month, the area’s water and waste company, Arcgisa, criticised residents in Sotogrande on the south coast of the country for failing to comply with restrictions which are in place across the region of Andalucia until at least Saturday, June 1.
During the press conference officials said the exclusive enclave where homes can fetch millions of euros, was the only area in the municipality of San Roque to be breaking the rules.
Owners of posh chalets in the area were accused of using automatic sprinklers to irrigate gardens and filling or refilling their swimming pools.
Jose Manuel Alcantara, general director of Arcgisa, branded the behaviour as “unsupportive” adding it was “substantially” altering the consumption figures of San Roque, where residents had been complying in the historic centre and other neighbourhoods.
He asked for “restraint” from users who were exceeding the maximum consumption of 200 litres per home per day, decreed by the Junta de Andalucia, adding they could potentially be fined more than £5,000.
Alcantara said he would be reporting property owners who break the rules and even threatened to cut off their water supply in the most severe cases.
Any filling of swimming pools must be authorised by the group before it is done under the current rules.
