Following on from the fire at Powers Drive Tunnel and the subsequent interruptions, there have been a number of concerns raised by customers since supplies have been restored so AquaGib have taken the opportunity to address some of the common concerns raised regarding the quality of water in our network.

'On the subject of any excessive taste of chlorine experienced by customers, AquaGib has taken the decision to increase the chlorine dosing of our system at this time to mitigate against any risks of poor water quality. This means that customers may notice an increased chlorine smell or taste issues with our water compared to before the fire. This is to be expected but AquaGib would like to reassure our customers that chlorine levels within the water remain fit for human consumption. This measure will be reviewed as stock levels return to normal and AquaGib will return to previous dosing levels in due course.'

'Regarding any discolouration of the water experienced by customers, this is due to sediment that exists within the water network. AquaGib performs regular flushing of the network, a process which involves releasing an amount of water at flush out points on the network which reduces the amount of discolouration experienced by customers. Any discolouration can be resolved by running the tap for a short period and does not present a concern for water quality. When running your taps, please remember that at this point we urge customers to conserve water and use as little as possible, so please only do this for short periods.'

'Following on from the press release by HM Government of Gibraltar yesterday, the testing regime put in place detected a bacteriological failure in one of the trucks from Spain. As part of the process the relevant authorities were informed and AquaGib has liaised extensively with the Department of Public Health Gibraltar, the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Agency Gibraltar. AquaGib performs daily samples taken from the receiving tank and has also taken samples from the service reservoirs at Waterworks, and these have indicated no bacteria showing in our system.'

Christopher Segovia, Chief Environmental Health Officer said: "The Environmental Agency routinely carries out check samples of the potable water system throughout the year to verify that the potable water supply meets the parameters stipulated in legislation. Since being notified of a bacterial test failure in one of the trucks importing water from Spain and despite this event being classed as low risk, the Environmental Agency has taken further potable water check samples across the relevant sectors of the distribution network."

Dr Helen Carter, Director of Public Health Gibraltar said: "I have been working closely with both AquaGib and the Environmental Agency and I am assured that the water is safe to drink in Gibraltar. The potentially low risk of contamination of the truck water was anticipated and planned for in advance through increasing chlorine levels in the water. Reservoir testing and all tap water testing to date has been clear. I am assured that monitoring will continue as part of the usual testing arrangements."

AquaGib have said it continues to monitor and ensure that the quality of water delivered to the tap for the customer meets the usual high standards that exist in Gibraltar.