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July 2026 | Gazette Life | 7Lanzarote%u2019s Water Consortium last month expelled Canal Gesti%u00f3n staff from offices and facilities, and demanded the handover of all equipment and data. The move follows the Consortium%u2019s decision to end the contract with the Madrid-based company which has operated the island%u2019s water supply since 2013. Workers at the D%u00edaz Rijo Desalination Plant and other facilties have been assured that their jobs are not at risk. Canal Gesti%u00f3n, however, has responded by saying %u201cthere are no grounds that justify this measure, nor have the procedural and legal guarantees been fully respected%u201d. The company has threatened to fight the contract termination %u201cforcefully%u201d. CANAL GESTI%u00d3N EXPELLED FROM OFFICESArrecife Ayuntamiento will grease the chains of its iconic bridge, the Puente de las Bolas to prevent accidents.The decision was taken after publication of a viral video showing a teenage boy climbing up one of the chains, failing to reach the top and falling from a height of around three metres onto the wooden railings of the bridge. Fortunately, the lad wasn%u2019t seriously injured.However, the Consortium of Emergencies will grease the chains and ropes of the bridge to discourage any future incidents. Director Enrique Espinosa recognised that generations of youngsters in Arrecife have been climbing onto the top of the bridge to dive into the sea at high tide, especially in the summer months, but said that it was %u201cextremely dangerous%u201d.BRIDGE MONKEYS FOILEDCRIME FALLS IN FIRST QUARTERReported crime on Lanzarote fell by 4.1% in the first quarter of 2026.The statistics, released by the Cabildo and based on police reports, show that a total of 1,712 criminal offences were reported in Lanzarote from January to March.The average of crimes per person is significantly lower than both the national and the Canarian average, and the clearance rate of 58.6% is also better than the national average.Robberies with violence and sexual assaults saw a rise compared to 2025, while petty theft, cybercrime and drug trafficking saw falls. No murders or attempted murders have been reported so far.The Cabildo of Lanzarote has asked Har%u00eda Ayuntamiento to temporarily cede control of the pier at Playa La Garita in Arrieta, so that it can carry out renovation works.The pier is a wooden walkway on the northern side of Playa La Garita which leads to a concrete island that is used by swimmers.The President of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, said %u201cthis infrastructure has become a symbol for Arrieta and for all of Lanzarote, so we cannot allow it to continue deteriorating.%u201dThe offer comes after a report which recommended immediate action to stop the deterioration of the pier, which has been closed to the public for safety reasons.Har%u00eda%u2019s Mayor, Alfredo Villalba, had earlier called for the Cabildo%u2019s help in replacing the pier, rather than renovating it, saying %u201cWe don%u2019t have the resources to carry out such a project in such a way that safety can be guaranteed.%u201dFIXING LA GARITA PIER