347 days. That’s how long swimming has been discouraged at Playa Jardín, one of the most important spots on the northern coast of Tenerife. The reason: alarming values of faecal bacteria detected in the water. Divided into three coves of black sand and designed by the artist César Manrique, Playa Jardín is one of the most visited in the area. However, the water has been experiencing a “deterioration in its quality” for years, which led Public Health to issue a report on 21 June 2024, recommending against swimming. Almost a year later, the Puerto de la Cruz Town Council has announced that “next week” it will proceed with its “reopening”.
Residents, who have been suffering the economic, social and emotional consequences of the beach’s pollution for almost a year, hope the problem will be solved. “We know it involves a lot of investment and that it will be a very slow process. If it had been addressed from the start, we wouldn’t be facing this serious problem,” they insist.
From March to June last year, as can be read in the Public Health report, values of E.coli and Enterococcus “compatible” with “insufficient” water quality were detected “continuously”. This document also warned that exposure to high levels of faecal pollution increases the risk of waterborne diseases. Among them are respiratory diseases, diarrhoea, vomiting, or meningitis. According to Health Minister Esther Monzón, in the Canary Parliament this Friday, “the last 50 analyses” have been positive and support the reopening of the beach.
Although swimming has been discouraged in recent months, it has not been prohibited, so it has been common to see bathers at Playa Jardín during this time. Meanwhile, the analyses have shown values of up to 1,000 bacterial units of E.coli per millilitre of sample, far above the 250 needed for the water to be considered “excellent” and the 500 required for it to be classified as “sufficient or good”. This data comes from the results of samples taken on 23 September at the three points established by Public Health.
A report prepared by the environmental consultancy Elittoral also includes the results of analyses carried out at 13 stations around the Punta Brava submarine outfall, the only one authorised to discharge the water from the Valle de La Orotava treatment plant. On 15 October, values of up to 68,000 bacterial units of E.coli and 19,000 of intestinal Enterococcus were detected at one point.
A broken outfall
This submarine outfall has had a crack about ten metres from the coast since 2020. As a result, according to this report prepared in January 2025, the treated water from the WWTP “is not being discharged at a sufficient distance to ensure the dispersion of the plume before reaching the coastline”. The Department of Ecological Transition inspected the outfall in July 2024, aiming to clarify the source of the “disproportionate concentration of pathogens” that led to the closure of the bathing area at Playa Jardín. In October last year, the Canary Island Government assured that the outfall’s crack was unrelated to the beach’s pollution.
This Friday, in response to a question by Socialist MP Tamara Raya, the Health Minister assured that all the competent administrations are clear about the origin of the problem. “There are cracks in the outfall. A generator has even been set up so that when there is an overflow, it doesn’t go to the sea but to irrigation water. Thirty per cent of the waste reaching the sea was related to some homes not being connected to the area’s sewerage network,” she replied.
The Tenerife Island Water Council (CIAT), responsible for the service, put the rehabilitation of the Valle de La Orotava submarine outfall out to tender on 25 March for 2.7 million euros. According to the document, published on the State’s contracting platform, the maximum execution period was 16 months. No companies came forward, and the tender was deserted. The island’s council ensures that “the forecast is to award it throughout this month.”
However, a work to repair the leak in the outfall was awarded in August 2024 for 39,812.5 euros, with completion scheduled in six months. The company that won the contract was Servicios Subacuáticos Profesionales S.L. CIAT also announced that the works to create a new Regional WWTP for the Valle de La Orotava would be put out to tender in July this year for 25 million euros.
Bleach for disinfection
Among the actions taken to disinfect the treatment plant’s effluent is the use of chemical reagents. Specifically, sodium hypochlorite and caustic soda. This is reflected in a document accessed by this newspaper. In it, FCC Aqualia, responsible for maintaining and conserving the Valle de La Orotava’s regional sanitation and treatment system, requests a modification to the contract with the Island Water Council because the budget allocation was insufficient to meet the “increase in unforeseen expenses in 2023.”
“A crack in the submarine outfall pipeline was detected, which required intensified effluent disinfection to mitigate its effects while repairs are being made,” states the decree, signed on 21 November 2023 by the Councillor for the Natural Environment of the Tenerife Island Council, Blanca Pérez.
The company also justifies that the treatment plant is in an “extremely sensitive” location due to its proximity to the population and the high tourist pressure. To disinfect the effluent and reduce odour around the WWTP, an additional amount of 45,549.34 euros was required, which was added to the 1.3 million awarded in the first contract. The objective: to purchase 182,315 kilos of hypochlorite and 27,008 of caustic soda, 111.01% and 400.14% more than initially planned.
The Prosecutor’s Office investigates the events
This Friday, Health Minister Esther Monzón, recalled in a sectoral commission that in 2022, the Town Council was already warned that the water quality was very close to becoming insufficient and that certain actions were necessary. “They weren’t carried out at the time, and in 2024, the beach had to be closed,” she added.
Rafael Ruiz Ibáñez, the environmental prosecutor for Santa Cruz de Tenerife, has confirmed to this editorial office that there is an open investigation to determine whether the events constitute the offence of discharges under article 325 of the Penal Code. This article provides for prison sentences of six months to two years, fines of ten to fourteen months and disqualification from office for those who directly or indirectly cause discharges that could cause substantial harm to the waters.
The investigation began following a complaint filed with the Prosecutor’s Office in August 2024 and is in the pre-procedural phase. “We have six months to investigate, but it has been extended for another six months because the level of inquiries was high,” Ruiz said. According to the prosecutor, the investigation ultimately aims to determine the facts and their authorship. The investigation is “practically complete.” Between June and July, it will be decided whether to file a complaint with the Puerto de la Cruz courts. “At that time, the prosecutor will determine whether to archive the proceedings or, if there are indications of a crime, file the complaint and inform against whom.”
Impact on the neighbourhood
The residents of the area are celebrating the “gradual return to normality” after a “tough” year from an economic and emotional point of view. The Stop Marine Discharges platform, formed by Punta Brava neighbourhood residents, recognises the efforts of the competent authorities but hopes that the cleaning of the sand, “which also suffers from pollution and is currently in poor condition”, will be considered. “It’s something crucial and fundamental for the population’s safety,” they insist in statements to ahora.plus.
“Playa Jardín is not just a beach; it’s an emblem of Puerto de la Cruz and a tourist hub for the area. Its reopening will mean regaining quality of life and a key space for the municipality,” said the Town Council in a press release. Mayor Leopoldo Afonso highlights that the decision results from “collaboration between administrations”. The governing team claims that improvements have been made to Punta Brava’s sewerage network, and the system has been cleaned, and it plans to tender the new Integrated Water Cycle contract to legalise pumping stations and overflows throughout the municipality.
The beach’s pollution has directly impacted the Puerto de la Cruz population. “Our image has been totally compromised nationally and internationally, and not just because of this case; it affects the whole island,” they insist. The decline in tourism in the area has led to significant economic losses, even leading to business closures.
“For safety reasons, most of the population has not used the beach or the bathing area, which has had a profound impact on the neighbourhood’s social life, affecting both the residents’ daily interactions and their emotional well-being and sense of community,” the platform states. “It goes without saying that the beach is a recreational area, a place for families, to share with friends, to swim in the sea with all the health benefits, to carry out sports activities, for the elderly to use as a sports area…”, they recall.
Residents emphasise that although swimming was discouraged in June 2024, they have been dealing with this problem “since two more municipalities were connected to a treatment plant that couldn’t handle the flow without being expanded first”.
This station treats the waters of Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava, Los Realejos, and part of Santa Úrsula. These four municipalities total 126,870 inhabitants, according to the National Institute of Statistics. This figure must be added to the number of tourists visiting each year. Last year alone, Puerto de la Cruz had 19,850 tourist accommodations, including hotels and apartments.
The Stop Marine Discharges platform recalls that the definitive solution involves expanding the treatment plant, replacing the submarine outfall, proper management and maintenance of the pumping stations, and improving the town’s sanitation network. Some of these measures, such as the modernisation of the WWTP, “are years overdue.” “Urgent action is required from the Island Council, Town Hall, and Canary Island Government. On our part, we have encountered resistance to addressing the problem urgently, despite the gravity of the situation,” the residents conclude.
