Four Days of No Running Water in Altea Spain: NO BUENO!

Altea fountain with fresh water

Day 4 with no running water in my apartment in Altea Spain. (No bueno.) Initially, I inquired of my two neighbors in the same building had water and they did not. My contacts with the property manager, Pacqui, at Ibis Inmobliaria, were unbelievably frustrating and unprofessional.

When I told her I did not have water for two days, she asked if I had paid the bill, even though the bill goes to her office, and then I pay it every month, so she should have known that. Then she asked if the neighbor had water and when I said no, she advised me to go to the water company for info. My Spanish is pretty good about daily matters but more challenging when trying to communicate about uncommon things. I asked here via text several more times, and she dismissively replied in Spanish that something must be broken. So when will I have water, I asked her in Spanish, and she said when it is fixed, and have a nice day with a smiley emoji. In spite of my repeated requests for information, she never gave me any idea what was wrong or when I would have water. Even when I told her I would look for a new apartment because I could not function without water or without knowing when I would have it, she did not respond.

Too bad I had recently just gotten rid my cupboards of all the empty bottles which I could have used to get water from the local fountains, which fortunately provide potable drinking water at many spots around town.

Finally, I found the emergency water hotline which I called on day 4. They asked me the same questions several times, i.e. how long have you been without water, and are your neighbors without water. Then they asked me why no one had reported it; apparently neither the property manager nor the neighbor who runs a barbershop bothered to call. During that time, I observed a man working on the street on a pipe, and about half an hour after my call I had water, but I think the restoration of water was a coincidence, not due to my call. After that, the water company called back and informed me the water would again be shut off for more repairs in three days, which although inconvenient, but I can handle it with advance info.

The lack of customer service and difficulty in accomplishing bureaucratic or business tasks is one of the most frustrating things about living in Spain. It took me almost two and half months to change my internet provider. You can’t just walk into a store and buy a cell phone, nor just cancel a service and return the equipment. And don’t be surprised if what they tell you to do is different each time you go back trying to fulfill their last requirement.  All that said, I still love my life here in Spain, in spite of the occasional frustrations.

Tags: Daily life, Ibis Inmobliaria, No running water, Spain, Water fountain