The Santa Cruz Council says there will finally be an end to sewage discharges into the sea in San Andrés, the coastal town by Las Teresitas beach, from Monday 1st June, following the completion of long-awaited drainage and sanitation works.

The announcement was made on Friday by Councillor for Strategic Planning and Public Services, Carlos Tarife, who confirmed the new system is ready to begin operating.

According to Tarife, the project will allow the council to “turn the key and shut off” the final discharge points, helping achieve what he described as “zero sewage dumping into the sea across Anaga”.

The works form part of a wider programme aimed at solving one of Santa Cruz’s long-standing coastal problems: untreated wastewater being discharged into the sea.

Long-Running Problem for Residents

In San Andrés, the improvements have focused on upgrading the sewage network to stop wastewater flowing directly into the ocean, an issue that residents have complained about for decades.

The discharges have repeatedly raised concerns over water quality and environmental damage, particularly because of the area’s close proximity to Las Teresitas beach, Santa Cruz’s most popular tourist and bathing areas.

Tarife said the works have been fully funded by the council and linked the project to similar recent improvements in other parts of Anaga, including Tachero, where efforts have also focused on improving coastal water quality.

For many residents in San Andrés, the end of the sea discharges marks a major milestone after years of complaints about the environmental and health impact caused by the untreated wastewater.