The Government of the Canary Islands has announced this Wednesday that the significant presence of pathogenic agents at Playa Jardín (Puerto de la Cruz), which led to its closure since last July, is not related to the rupture of the Punta Brava underwater outfall.
During a meeting of the monitoring commission alongside the Cabildo of Tenerife and the City Council, the results from the intensive sampling campaign conducted in recent weeks along the city’s coastline were shared.
It is noteworthy that among the 60 analyses undertaken, only one registered values exceeding the acceptable limits, specifically at Playa Chica. No other location out of the 15 assessed showed pathogen concentrations above the usual level.
Attending the meeting were Ángel Montañés, the General Director of Ecological Transition and the Fight Against Climate Change; technical personnel from the General Directorate of Public Health; Blanca Pérez, Minister for Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies of the Cabildo; David Hernández, councillor for Sustainable City of Puerto de la Cruz; and Javier Davara, manager of the Tenerife Waters Island Council, along with technicians from the respective administrations.
The coordination group has resolved to prioritise and support the City Council of Puerto de la Cruz in carrying out sanitation initiatives in the Punta Brava neighbourhood.
In this manner, the Cabildo of Tenerife will allocate 1 million euros, while the Department of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands will provide 300,000 euros in 2024 to assist with the works to be undertaken, which will include connecting residents to the sanitation network and enhancing this network.
Moreover, the ongoing work commenced by the CIATF regarding the outfall will proceed, with efforts continuing to secure authorisations for both the augmentation and enhancement of the La Orotava Valley Treatment Plant, as well as the establishment of a new outfall. The intensive analytical campaign in the area will also persist, alongside advancement in planning the comprehensive enhancement of sanitation within the municipality of Puerto de la Cruz.
During the meeting, updates on the work conducted by each party were shared, leading to the initial conclusion that the elevated concentration of pathogenic agents in the area is not attributable to the rupture of the outfall, as recent analyses have demonstrated.
The Tenerife Island Water Council also reported on the progress concerning the fissure in the underwater outfall, indicating that calm sea conditions have facilitated actions concerning this treated water discharge system at Valle de La Purification Station, Orotava, despite the initial technical challenges faced.
Blanca Pérez, the councillor of the Cabildo, and Javier Davara, the CIATF manager, clarified that work in the emissary is still ongoing, aiming to eliminate the highest feasible percentage of the effluent from the area where the fissure is located.
David Hernández, the first deputy mayor and councillor for Sustainable City of Puerto de la Cruz, revealed that the municipality has conducted meetings among various municipal departments with relevant authority and has initiated the first steps in planning the work needed to enhance the sanitation system within the city overall, and specifically for the Punta Brava neighbourhood.
For its part, the technical representation of Public Health from the Government of the Canary Islands confirmed that levels continue to be recorded that still prevent the use of this section of the Portuense coast for swimming.
