Many bathers stay away from Playa La Charca in Salobreña because of the drainage channel that runs from the paseo to the sea, with good reason, now, it seems.
The Health Board for the Junta has forbidden bathing off Playa La Charca because an elevated presence of intestinal microbiological enterococci, was detected in a recent sample analysis carried out by the Servicio de Vigilancia Sanitaria de Aguas de Baño de Andalucía.
Normally, this does not cause problems unless it enters the blood stream via a cut, or the urinary tract whilst bathing. The Junta considers that the problem is caused by an overflow from the sewage-collection point.
For this reason, the Junta urges the Town Hall to take action immediately by marking out the area where the prohibition exists and putting up no-bathing notices. These measure must be kept in place until the Junta says otherwise.
Readers will remember that a floating, cream-coloured streak appeared off Playa La Guardia at the beginning of summer. Seprona took samples and concluded that the source was a nearby sewage pipe emptying directly into the sea or an overflow on a collection point within the sewage collection system.
The Mayor of Salobreña, Javier Ortega, pointed out that the rest of the municipality’s beaches are in a perfect state and apt for bathing.
(News: Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)
Oh dear, there I was slagging off the mayors of local towns and it turns out that it’s the monsters of the Junta and Madrid that should get my ill wishes.
This Mancomunidad group; is it the people in power; the ones that are chosen to have second, well paid jobs via the local councils? Nice to have the Dosh. Shame the jobs are not being done correctly.
Toby: Without a shadow of doubt. The responsibility is that of the Central Government. Even today, Spain gets fined millions by the EU each year for not having sewage-treatment plants for all of its 8,000-odd municipalities – its cheaper to pay the fine than build these costly units. Nerja was the last local seaside town to have a EDAR set up, which was about a year ago, or so although in summer sewage ‘slicks’ are still spotted.
Inland, the problem is not so noticeable but there are plenty of villages (Jete, Otívar and Lentegí) where untreated sewage is still dumped into barrancos.
The Town Halls have no control over waste disposal; yes, they can make sure that sewage from their urbanizaciones are connected up to the system but that is through the Mancomunidad (inter-municipal associations set up to proved mains water and sewage disposal) A huge amount of work has been carried out in Almuñécar, channeling rainwater through different networks to the sewage – before, every time it rains hard, sewage bubbled out onto the streets.
The problem is obtaining cooperation between the Regional Government and the Central Government, which invariably are controlled by opposition political parties. One look at the progress, or better said, lack of it, between the Junta and Madrid over the irrigation distribution system for Rules Reservoir.
In short, it’s no good blaming your local Town Hall, who have no authority over the sea off its beaches; it’s the Junta and Madrid and to a certain extent the Mancomunidad de La Costa Tropical.
However, putting pressure on a Town Hall, so that the pressure is applied up the command chain, is never a bad idea.
Take your word for it then Martin.
Ugh!! Had I seen that on my first visit certainly would not have relocated to here.
Surely the council MUST do something to rectify??
Toby: sorry, but it was much, much worse; everyday, long streaks of sewage with turds and tampons floating along in front of every beach.
We used to watch Spanish bathers watch the shite streaks, waiting for it to ‘disappear,’ thinking that the current had swept it to the next beach but what really happened was that it was washed up onto the beaches, with kids playing there.
The sewage dried on the pebbles. People would put their hands on the pebbles, then rub the sweat off their foreheads or whatever and it was just a case of sitting around in sewage.
The increase in population since then (Almuñécar was around 20,000 then and it’s now 27,000) does not compensate, even in the most optimistic calculation, on how crap-ladden the seawater was back in the early 80s. Ask anybody who lived here then.
One of Almuñécar’s main sewage pipe didn’t used to go out more that 40 metres. I used to give English classes to divers working on them around 1987 and they had horror stories to discuss as conversation material.
I am not saying that what is happening now is permissible nor understandable; I am merely stating that it is much, much better than before.
Is this part of the Brown algae stream, found off la Caleta a short while ago? You guys did an article about it. Natural, the town experts said. Utter crap!
Look at the badly built and maintained sewerage outlets found by divers. Keep taking in the dinero. Sea quality like water conservation…Who cares!
And the increase in population/visitors/effluent over those 40 years, even with the treatment plants, probably means more sewerage is being released into the sea (where far more people now swim than 40 years ago!) so would suggest the problem is perhaps more of a worry than it was then.
The Junta/Council should not be excused for this, the reason nothing has been done is twofold…effluent into the sea is ‘secretly’ disposed of and obviously is not a lucrative project to benefit our councilors??
Perhaps it would be a good idea to erect large warning signs along the beaches…it might reduce the number of visitors to Salobrena thereby reducing their income.
That would make them sit up and take notice!!
Look Chaps, what’s more important; the upkeep of the sewerage system that cannot cope with any increase of population during holidays etc, let alone the rest of the year? Means spending monies and not on councillors salaries.
I guess in the quieter times, a small trickle of effluents, like a dodgy tummy, isn’t so noticeable? Or like the usage of water at beach, feet & body showers during this drought.
Dinero is King. Lose the tourist and the economy for the year is gone, down the toilet so to speak. Same as building new hotels and apartments; the effluents go where?
Planned 500 plus, two hotels between Playa Granada and Salobrena. Kayak and paddle board, but don’t swallow the water.
I agree but on the other hand if you had lived here 40 years ago, then you would have seen every beach with sewage problems because there were no sewage treatment plants and Almuñécar, La Herradura, Salobreña, Motril and Torrenueva just dumped all their sewage into the sea… thinking about it, it was a bit like the UK is nowadays 😉
Old news! Old news!
We have lived here for twenty years and have known about this problem from the start. And so have the Junta/Local council…who, it appears, have chosen to do absolutely nothing about it, so don’t expect a solution anytime yet folks.