The Granadilla de Abona City Council has reopened the three beaches in El Medano that were closed due to contamination after the latest test results confirmed that the water is safe for the public as the E.coli bacterium rates are below the allowed values.
In a statement, the council explained that only the central beach exceeded the levels allowed for swimming, but as a precaution, they decided to close Playa Chica and Leocadio Machado as well temporarily prohibiting bathing and raising the red flag.
It is common for the island's beaches to be closed due to the presence of E.coli bacteria in the ocean. This microbe is found in the stomach of humans and reaches the ocean through sewage outlets.
These large pipes carry the supposedly purified water from the Wastewater Treatment Plants to the bottom of the sea. However, currents carry these flows up to the surface and towards the coast.
However, there has been a particular problem in El Medano for some time. Earlier this year, the town's balconies were covered with banners in protest by the residents of the town, who want the discharge of polluted water into the sea to stop.
The banners sent the messages: “Welcome to El Miérdano”, “No more poop in the sea”, and “Danger! People get sick from swimming in poop”.
The council have requested an urgent meeting with the Tenerife Island Water Council to find out the status of the works of the Granadilla treatment plant, a system that will fully purify the wastewater of San Isidro and the entire coast of the municipality.
