Charlie Smith
ENVIRONMENTALISTS have called for the closure of a stunning Andalucian beach after another raw sewage spill.
A bout of rain this morning has once again overwhelmed storm drains near Playa de Los Lances in Tarifa.
Water containing ‘faecal matter’ gushed onto the ecologically protected sand strip and the adjacent paseo, according to Verdemar-Ecologistas en Accion.
“It is causing irreparable damage to the environment in the environment of the protected area, it is a repeated spill without the Government caring,” a spokesperson from the organisation said.
It comes after a video in the same area last year appeared to show wastewater flowing onto a beach, which locals branded ‘a disgrace’.
The latest spillage is believed to have been from the La Chanca storm drain, which Ecologistas said it had previously flagged up to the Junta de Andalucia.
The spokesperson added: “Playa de Los Lances is flooded with faecal coliforms after each episode of rain.
“This is something that we have denounced on many occasions.
“In fact, in another complaint from 2018, the Andalucian Government said the problem of this endemic wastewater contamination was resolved.”
Of the untreated wastewater, Ecologistas said: “It is responsible for many diseases and health problems.
“Because sewage discharges cause water pollution, fish and other sea creatures die, indirectly affecting human health.”
Playa de Los Lances, which sits northwest of Tarifa is one of several Costa de la Luz beaches, which are a mecca for surfers and windsurfers from around the world.
But Ecologistas labelled Tarifa and the surrounding area – famed for its winds – as a ‘hopeless polluting emitter’.
The group confirmed it will present a ‘dossier’ on Playa de Los Lances to the Ministry of Health in order to ensure that the ‘beach is closed until the problem is solved’.
