The Adeje Town Council has reopened the two beaches previously closed for swimming due to the detection of faecal bacteria in the water. The Municipal Corporation had restricted access to the water at Troy I and Puertito beaches due to “Adverse Analytics.” Although the reasons were not initially specified, upon inquiry by this publication, the Council confirmed that E.coli bacteria were identified at Troy beach and enterococcus bacteria were found at El Puertito beach.
Bacteria such as E.coli and enterococci inhabit the human gut and enter the ocean via wastewater discharge pipes. These large conduits carry ostensibly treated water from sewage treatment plants to the seabed. However, ocean currents can bring these discharges back to the surface and into coastal areas.
Troy Beach and Puertito de Adeje have now joined La Jaquita in El Médano (in the municipality of Granadilla), which has been closed for several days following the detection of faecal bacteria levels exceeding the allowed limits for Escherichia coli (E.coli). On the opposite side of the island, on the northern coast, Playa Jardín in Puerto de la Cruz has been closed since July 2024 due to the presence of faecal bacteria in the water, linked to a submarine discharge pipe in the area that has yet to be repaired.
