A Spanish millionaires’ gaming resort that is home to celebrities and thousands of British expats has been plunged into “third world” conditions when local authorities cut the water for half the day on Thursday.
Families in Sotogrande, on the Costa del Sol, were given just one day’s notice to fill buckets to flush toilets and buy bottled water before local authorities turned off the taps.
The ultra-luxury resort, made up of large villas protected by electric gates and high hedges, is popular with royalty, Russian oligarchs, celebrities and footballers.
Eddie Jordan, former Chelsea footballer Glen Johnson, former Genesis keyboardist Mike Rutherford and BBC journalist Nick Knowles are said to own homes in the complex where a nine-bedroom villa will cost £20,000,000.
Authorities announced a nightly water shutoff on Tuesday; The first closure took place last night at 9:00 pm and supply is expected to resume at 7:00 am
Sotogrande, a Spanish millionaire’s playground that hosts celebrities and thousands of British expats, has been plunged into “third world” conditions when local authorities cut the water for half the day.
A letter sent to the residents of Sotogrande explaining the water cut
But Rob Brummer, 66, a former shipping director who has lived in the gated private complex for four years, said that at 10.30am today it was still without water.
He said: “It was a huge surprise when we found out about this the day before. “All communication around this has completely failed.
‘The whole of Sotogrande is made up of large villas and, with five golf courses, consumes a lot of water, but I lived in the Middle East for eight years and we never had any problems with the water supply.
‘Here is a big school with thousands of children who will need to wash and brush their teeth every morning. How can they do that?
‘Since 2013 there has been a drought in Spain but neither regional nor local town councils have taken any appropriate measures.
‘The local government doesn’t care. They’re far away and all we can do is complain and hope they listen to us.’
Restrictions imposed on Sotogrande’s 2,500 residents earlier this year include a ban on watering gardens, cleaning roads and driveways, ornamental fountains, washing cars and filling private swimming pools.
Expats across the Costa del Sol have faced water restrictions and some have been left without water for days.
Dozens of families from the town of Valle Romano, on the Costa del Sol, have been without water for up to five days.
Residents of the town, in the hills above the city of Estepona, have complained of not being able to shower, use the toilet or even keep their children clean.
Local resident Alba Woodard, 34, told The Olive Press: “At first, Hidralia [the water company] He said the problems were due to broken pipes or pumps.
“They said they didn’t know when it would be fixed; it could be weeks.”
However, Hidralia later announced that the water outage was due to “lack of water” in the storage tanks.
Woodard, a property manager born in Bristol but raised in Estepona, complained that it was “unfair to just cut off the water to all these houses”.
Families in Sotogrande, on the Costa del Sol, were given just one day’s notice to fill buckets to flush toilets and buy bottled water before local authorities turned off the tap.
Football legend Lionel Messi also owns the MiM Sotogrande Club MarÃtimo hotel in the port, which has 45 loft-style rooms, all with views of the Mediterranean Sea.
King Charles and Princes William and Harry have also played in polo tournaments in Sotogrande, while Tony Blair, Mariah Carey and Rod Stewart are frequent visitors.
Sotogrande is also a mecca for golfers, as the city is home to four championship courses that are among the best in Europe. It is also one of Europe’s leading sporting destinations, offering water sports, tennis and polo.
In 2016, former England manager Glenn Hoddle put his £1.8 million villa with private pool and terrace up for sale.
He said at the time: ‘I love the Sotogrande area and there are some of the most wonderful golf courses in Europe. I love my golf and have enjoyed many years here.
‘My favorite part of the house is the terrace. I have spent many hours relaxing and eating with family and friends. The views are wonderful and it is peaceful there.
‘I’ve had the house as a holiday home for about 13 years, but now I feel like I want to experience somewhere different.’
Despite its reputation as a playground for the rich and famous, it is also popular with ordinary expats. On an online expat forum, a family who returned after 10 years away said: ‘There are many expats and rich people who are down to earth and not ostentatious.
‘We are not rich. We’re normal: I work in real estate and my wife has a small takeout.
‘My children go to the local school, but all the children in the activities/clubs come from the SIS. Good boys. Everyone here is here because they like the outdoors and doing things.’
Another said: ‘I’m not sure about the balance between Spanish and foreign residents, but it’s not what I would consider a typical small Spanish town. Although there are many bars and a good immigrant community.
The drought is also causing concern among international tourists, with some families booking AirBnBs in Malaga being urged to follow local restrictions.
The ultra-luxury resort, made up of large villas protected by electric gates and high hedges, is popular with royalty, Russian oligarchs, celebrities and footballers.
One tourist wrote on The Facebook Group International People in Malaga: ‘My Airbnb host just sent a message saying that due to lack of rain, our condo booked for July will not have water from 11pm to 7pm. tomorrow. Does that sound normal?’
Spain’s Tourism Minister warned tourists that they use almost twice as much water as local residents.
Spokesman Arturo Berna stated: ‘We are sensitive to the drought situation that Andalusia is experiencing and we are analyzing the implementation of some measure that affects rationing and efficient use of water.
“Any operation will necessarily have the consensus of the sector.”