The Stop platform has raised concerns about the discharge of wastewater into the ocean on the coast of La Cruz “in a deliberate and utterly illegal manner, a situation that is exacerbated in the Punta Brava area with the complete closure of its beach” in July of the previous year.
As outlined in the report submitted on January 15, this predicament “is attributed to the inadequacy and poor condition of the pumping stations (EBAR), which are under municipal jurisdiction, and the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), overseen by the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Insular Water Council of Tenerife (CIATF), situated within this locality, creating an environment of significant risk to public health “and also, “a total environmental catastrophe.”
This situation has deteriorated over the past two days due to the emergence of dead fish and a substantial patch of brown foam on the fishing dock and in San Telmo, which, according to Tania Hernández, president of the aforementioned platform, “suggests that pollution may be spreading to further areas along the coastline of the municipality,” prompting her to add this to the ongoing investigation.
Consequently, and to prevent repercussions for public health, she requests that “a comprehensive and meticulous analysis of the conditions and operations of the EDAR and the capability or inadequacy of the EBAR be conducted to demonstrate, avert, and most importantly rectify this severe situation.”
Both the city’s mayor, Leopoldo Afonso, and the Councillor for General Services, Alonso Acevedo, stated that local police and municipal technicians were dispatched to the site and confirmed that “there were no dead fish or unpleasant odours.” “The sea is turbulent and whenever this brown foam appears,” remarked Acevedo.
Additionally, in the afternoon, the mayor confirmed that the dead fish had been discarded by a fisherman operating in the vicinity of the shore “who admitted that they were the remnants of a sale at the location.” This not only constituted a violation but also caused “a commotion” yesterday in the tourist city; however, the government group “felt more relieved to ascertain that it was not indicative of any form of pollution,” stated Afonso.
“Everything came down to an anecdote”
“In the end, everything came down to an anecdote, albeit quite complicated due to the circumstances we are facing with Playa Jardín. But ultimately, there are no discharges at the dock, nor in San Telmo or Martiánez,” he emphasised. In this regard, he reminded that according to the General Directorate of Public Health of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Ministry of Ecological Transition “the water quality is also optimal for bathing.” This week another analysis is set to take place “which will ensure 100% that there is no issue in the area since the stain emerged as a result of the pre-alert for coastal phenomena. Thus, the Local Police cordoned off several areas to prevent individuals from approaching the coastline,” he concluded.
“They are cyanobacteria that originate from wastewater”
The president of the Canarian business association of environmental consultants, Juan Rumeu, explains that these shimmering formations “are cyanobacteria,” arising from the reaction of organic matter with various natural elements “and undoubtedly originate from wastewater.” Cyanobacteria in the sea “can be observed as coloured patches, floating layers, foam or turbid water with unpleasant odours, particularly in areas contaminated with organic matter, some of which produce exopolysaccharides that create a foamy texture on the surface,” as is the case.
