It partially served to validate censorship (when one of the partners, at the forefront, managed beaches –ACP- and has remained in the local government alongside the right-wing group CC). It was suggested that a resolution could be reached swiftly; however, seven months have elapsed, and uncertainty mounts regarding the genuine prospects that the City Council of Puerto de la Cruz, the principal town in the north of Tenerife, can advocate for swimming (not reopening) in Playa Assembly ACP, which is supposed to be left-leaning socially.
Nevertheless, what is truly occurring concerning the analyses of spills and pollution in the principal bathing area of a town that pioneered mass tourism in the Canary Islands during the 1960s? Why does the local government claim that results are improving while the socialist opposition, referring to regional reports, asserts otherwise? Why does the Minister of Natural Environment of Cabildo Tenerife, Blanca Pérez (CC), express doubt about the fulfilment of this timetable, stating in a plenary session that the island has never met that summer deadline? Why is there criticism regarding the transparency and dissemination of data that regulations imply should be shared, and why does the Stop Platform remain sceptical, along with concerned residents and others, leading to further protests today? Why has there been little discussion about the state of neighbouring beaches, such as Realejos, including Roques—even La Fajana, Castro …—when 80% of the time the currents flow toward the Low Island and Punta Brava is situated right next to it, with the bodies of individuals who drowned from Tacoronte to the valley appearing in the silos, for example? Could it be that there has been a political agreement to keep this quiet?
The reality is that the condition of Playa Jardín has intensified the conflict between the government and the opposition, ignited after the censorship in Puerto de la Cruz in August of last year. In fact, just this week, they have again disputed the interpretation of the data as public and from higher administrations, with the PSOE accusing PP, ACP and CC of dishonesty and contradicting a public health report, and with the ruling party calling for the resignation of former mayor Marco González for the same, for deceiving and misinterpreting the records.
Concerns Regarding Ongoing Works
However, there are additional concerns that also require clarification. For instance, what about the water analyses leaving the treatment plant which indicate up to 68,000 E. coli in case of breaks in the emissary? Moreover, according to consulted sources, it remains unclear whether the construction works that the Cabildo is carrying out at the treatment plant (EDR) to regenerate the water, involving an investment of nearly two million euros, will actually resolve the issue or if it will truly help if the water remains contaminated. While it has been consistently argued that this treatment plant is inadequate for the entire Valley of La Orotava, detailed explanations on why it operates poorly have not been provided, and doubts arise about whether the work by Balten (a company also under the council’s auspices) to avoid discharging liquid through the emissary and regenerate it for agricultural use is feasible if its quality does not adhere to regulations.
The local government maintains that analyses have been improving and recently intensified its communication strategy regarding this issue with the ruling team in the Cabildo by visiting the treatment plant, but critical perspectives remain very pessimistic. To begin with, they recall two studies commissioned by the administrations—one on July 31, 2024, by the Portuense City Council, and another between September and November by the Canary Islands government—which reveal levels deemed “exorbitant” of faecal pollution at the breakage point of the emissary, with explanations lacking regarding the extreme contamination of the water flowing from the duct originating in the refunder.
Doubts also arise concerning figures such as 48,000 E. coli in July 2024 of the “purified”
Ongoing Contamination Issues
Fecal water discharges from the treatment facility have been recorded at 68,000 on 15th October, 17,000 on 19th November, and approximately 8,000 on 1st October. The Aguas Insular Council asserts that the rupture of the emissary in July 2020 was reported to the Ecological Transition Ministry of the Canary Islands Government. Subsequently, plans were made to replace a 240-metre section of the emissary, including the damaged area. Despite being completed in May 2023, its execution or tendering has yet to occur (it would require 16 months of work, contingent on sea conditions). Emergency repairs commenced in August 2024 in an attempt to address the breakage, yet water continues to leak and contaminate this part of the city.
The Treatment Plant as a Key Factor
Sources consulted maintain that the rupture would not pose a significant environmental threat to the area if the treatment facility operated efficiently and discharged thoroughly purified water into the sea, as it would not be polluting under any circumstances. However, opposition parties and other critical voices contend that analysis suggests otherwise; hence, the treatment plant’s malfunction has been pivotal in understanding the situation at Playa Jardín.
As of September 2024, the project for the enhancement and expansion of the treatment plant is ready, but it awaits tendering. The initial phase would require nearly two years for completion. Furthermore, a second phase would be necessary to achieve a daily treatment capacity of 20,000 cubic metres from the municipalities in the Valley, as well as parts of Santa Úrsula.
For critics and sceptics, Balten’s emergency measures do not ensure the reopening of the beach. The works involve authorising a tertiary treatment system that, through reverse electrodialysis, aims to regenerate a significant portion of the water (up to 70%) currently being processed by the treatment plant, which could then be repurposed for agricultural irrigation in the valley. This is expected to be operational by May. Nonetheless, the opposition and concerned residents believe this to be incompatible with the pollution parameters indicated by ongoing analyses, regardless of the local government’s assertions. Public health reports accompany this text.
Familiar sources working with water treatment systems explain that the reverse electrodialysis process necessitates highly purified water devoid of germs and pathogens for effective regeneration, making it challenging to guarantee a suitable supply for agriculture in the Realejos and Orotava areas, particularly when there is the risk of contamination from the broken emissary.
Furthermore, issues have arisen recently with the other two treatment facilities located in Valle Guerra and Adeje-Arona, both of which are far more modern and equipped with superior technology than the one at the port, and are also overseen by the island council. These challenges indicate that the supposedly purified water is failing to meet the required standards to activate the tertiary system and subsequently nourish agricultural land in other regions of Tenerife. In fact, operations have had to be halted on several occasions as they did not provide the necessary guarantees of quality essential for these types of processes.
Concerns Regarding Pollution Parameters
It is precisely for these reasons that sources highlight a distinct lack of transparency regarding the pollution parameters of the water purportedly exiting the regional system of Valle de la Orotava. Concerns persist that guarantees are lacking despite the near two million euros invested, as the beach remains closed, leading to protests such as those on Sunday, 23rd March.
