Five beaches in the province of Alicante Spain have closed on the first big holiday weekend due to high levels of water pollution
The beaches affected are Urbanova and San Gabriel in Alicante, Arenal de Xàbia and Centro and Els Tossals in Guardamar del Segura.
Prior to August 1, the first big weekend of the season is in full swing and paints the beaches of Alicante with black. Or perhaps red, like the flags that will fly on the beaches of Urbanova and San Gabriel in Alicante, the Arenal de Xàbia and Centro, and Els Tossals in Guardamar del Segura, until further notice.
For various reasons, bathing is not permitted on five beaches in some of the most popular tourist regions of the Costa Blanca at least through Friday, July 28.
The General Directorate of Water and the Alicante City Council has prohibited bathing between the beaches of Urbanova and San Gabriel this Friday, including the space set up for dog bathing, upon detecting abnormal levels of enterococci in water tests. The lifeguard service immediately proceeded to raise the red flag after following the established health and safety protocols.
The Generalitat Valenciana’s Bathing Water Quality Control Program has found the presence of this bacterium within the typical control limits. The General Directorate of Water promptly informed the lifeguard and security services of the affected beaches where the red flag has been raised after informing them of the situation and informing the City Council of the results of the analyses.
The Generalitat and City Council have both started the processes to handle the matter, repeating the water analyses to track its development until the bacteria’s presence is gone and the beaches may be reopened.
Possible discharges from the San Gabriel area treatment facility and outfall, as well as leaks from the Aguas de Alicante-controlled network, have all been ruled out in the initial investigations.
This summer’s third closure of El Arenal de Xàbia will take place
The third beach closure this summer has been announced by the Xàbia City Council due to “high levels” of contamination. The Local Police and the Red Cross have been told to close it and hoist the red flag this Friday, said the consistory in their statement.
According to municipal sources, five daily analyses of the stormwater and sewage network in the area have been conducted this week as part of the plan of measures started by the local administration of Xàbia after the previous occurrence. They also note that these jobs have allowed for the narrowing of specific work areas and that on Friday, they will step up their efforts to resolve these events as quickly as possible.
“The government team is very clear that people’s health comes first, as well as environmental protection and certainty for businessmen and merchants from Arenal and Xàbia, in the middle of the tourist season,” concludes the local administration in its statement.
