Swimming banned at a Lanzarote beach due to faecal contamination
Public Health authorities in Lanzarote have ordered an immediate ban on swimming at El Reducto beach in Arrecife after tests confirmed the presence of faecal contamination in the water. The restriction will remain in place until corrective measures are implemented and the water quality is restored.
In a report issued yesterday, Tuesday, 4th November, the island’s Public Health Department required both the Consorcio del Agua and Canal Gestión, the companies responsible for the island’s water management and sanitation systems, to “guarantee corrective measures” to prevent further discharges into the sea.
Arrecife’s Councillor for Beaches and the Environment, Davinia Déniz, confirmed that the findings had been forwarded to the responsible entities and urged them to take “urgent action” to stop contamination in the affected area.
Water quality tests conducted near Punta del Camello, where an overflow outlet is located, detected high levels of faecal bacteria. Residents of the nearby Titerroy neighbourhood had reported sewage leaks the previous night near a pumping station by the lower Circunvalación Bridge, which connects to the Punta del Camello drainage network.
The issue has already been brought to the attention of Domingo Cejas, the island’s Water Councillor and Vice-President of the Consorcio del Agua de Lanzarote, who has been asked to press Canal Gestión to urgently resolve the malfunction. Officials report that the incident has also been linked to ongoing irregularities and breakdowns in the island’s water and sanitation systems.
Authorities have confirmed that the swimming ban at El Reducto Beach will remain in force until the source of contamination is identified and the responsible entities can guarantee that all necessary corrective and preventive measures have been carried out.
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