Overview
- Residents across central Madrid neighborhoods first reported a sudden change in tap water taste and smell on Sunday, describing strong chlorine, plastic or metallic notes.
- Canal de Isabel II and the regional government traced the cause to a maneuver on activated-carbon filters at the Santillana ETAP and described the action as not programmed.
- Officials say the water remains potable and have begun purges and distribution interventions to flush the network, with alerts declining but a few users still reporting residual taste.
- Más Madrid has demanded formal explanations in the regional assembly and filed parliamentary questions, citing the lack of prior warning about the unplanned operation.
- Experts note Madrid’s naturally soft, low-mineral water makes sensory shifts easy to detect and the Canal’s role supplying the capital and over 100 municipalities helps explain why the episode drew wide public concern and calls for clearer communication.