Alex Trelinski
JAVEA’S busiest beach- the Arenal- reopened to bathers on Thursday after being closed for two days after test samples revealed fecal matter in the water.
One person told the Olive Press that she heard from friends about children getting upset stomachs after going swimming before bathing was prohibited on Tuesday afternoon.
Cruz Roja lifeguards hoisted red flags and made regular loudspeaker announcements about the situation.
New tests allowed the all-clear to be given for bathing to resume on Thursday.
The General Directorate of Water(DGA) carried out routine tests on Monday and discovered some fecal contamination.
Ecologists in Action, Marina Alta, claimed in June that a broken pipe carrying water from a sewage treatment plant is pouring out into the beach cove, rather than out to sea.
That has been denied by Javea council and the Ministry of Agriculture and Ecological Transition who say regular water testing has shown the quality as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’.
There was anger though from Javea mayor, Jose Chulvi over the time it took to get the results of new sampling conducted on Wednesday.
Jose Chulvi said: “This is an intolerable delay which is insensitive to the demands of a tourist area in the middle of the holiday season affecting the busiest beach in Javea.”
The Compromis political party in turn slammed the socialist mayor.
In a statement they blamed Chulvi for turning a ‘blind eye’ towards issues at Arenal beach and for not making any decisions ‘until obliged by external circumstances’.
READ MORE:
- Two Costa Blanca beaches in Spain shamed with ‘black flag’ awards due to sewage dumped into sea
- Award-winning beaches on Spain’s Costa Blanca closed to bathers due to sewage discharge
