SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 6 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands has conducted a coordination meeting with the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Puerto de la Cruz City Council, announcing the commencement of assessments at up to 15 locations between Punta Brava and San Telmo to evaluate water quality, following the closure of Playa Jardín over two months ago due to contamination from excessive pathogenic concentrations.
In attendance were the Director General of Ecological Transition and the Fight Against Climate Change, Ángel Montañés; the Director General of Public Health, José Fernando Díaz-Flores; the Director General of Coasts and Maritime Space Management, Antonio Acosta; the Councillor for the Natural Environment, Sustainability, Safety and Emergencies of the Cabildo, Blanca Pérez; the Mayor of Puerto de la Cruz, Leopoldo Afonso; and the Manager of the Tenerife Island Water Council, Javier Davara, alongside technicians from the respective administrations.
During the meeting initiated by the Directorate General for Ecological Transition and the Fight against Climate Change, Ángel Montañés underscored that efforts have been amplified, “implementing swift and coordinated actions.”
He emphasised that the aforementioned Ministry “has commenced inspection and analysis at 15 distinct points in the vicinity of Punta Brava, Playa Jardín, and San Telmo.”
Field activities are in progress, which include site visits to the facilities and coastal regions, alongside assessments both on land and at sea, in addition to compiling an inventory of potential sources of marine pollution.
“The samples collected will be assessed to evaluate the water quality in the area, detect any spills, and thus facilitate the management and regulation of pollution in the region,” he stated.
José Fernando Díaz-Flores updated on the recent findings following the heightened analysis process of samples acquired in the vicinity of Punta Brava peninsula, expressing his complete cooperation in acquiring this data to conduct the necessary studies.
Antonio Acosta elaborated on the initiatives his department is undertaking to swiftly obtain the sectorial authorisations, largely contingent on administrative acts under the remit of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, essential for executing major purification works required by the municipality.
REPAIR OF THE OUTFLOW
Blanca Pérez also noted that work on the emissary has been in progress since the previous week.
“At the start of August, we commenced repairs on the underwater leak, but technicians encountered technical challenges. Last week, we declared an emergency on this work, with an investment of 201,000 euros, to carry out various actions on both land and sea at the outfall to resolve the issue promptly,” he stated.
On behalf of the Puerto de la Cruz City Council, Mayor Leopoldo Afonso provided details on the enhancements being examined within the municipal sanitation network and the directive given by the new government team to prioritise the legalisation process for the municipality’s pumping stations.