Malaga beaches faecal bacteria crisis leads to establishment of monitoring committee

Malaga city has been the most significant case, but by no means the only one. The city council closed six beaches in August due to the forced relief of the sewerage system during a heavy storm and the water's subsequent contamination with faecal bacteria.

Only 55 per cent of the system separates stormwater from sewage. The aim is to reach 70 per cent with measures such as installing stormwater retention tanks.

The regional government (Junta) has decided to set up a monitoring committee to oversee the quality of coastal bathing waters. The regional department of health, water and sustainability will work with coastal local councils to minimise problems caused by discharges and prevent the closure of bathing areas.

Junta representative in Malaga Patricia Navarro chaired the first working meeting on Thursday.

Through this committee, the Junta establishes a permanent framework between the authorities responsible for public health, water management, sanitation and beaches, enabling them to share information, analyse the causes of potential pollution incidents in bathing areas and speed up the implementation of preventive measures.

This coordination committee plans to meet every two months to propose short-, medium- and long-term measures, as well as to review and improve existing protocols.

Throughout the bathing season, which runs from 1 June to 30 September, the regional delegation for health carries out a series of regular checks at various sampling points.

This monitoring includes visual inspections, the collection of samples and the analysis of these samples to check, among other things, for the presence of E. coli. The results enable periodic reports on the sanitary conditions of bathing areas and any potential impact on water quality.

The Junta then forwards the findings of these reports to the relevant local authorities so that they can implement the necessary measures to protect the public, including the temporary restriction or ban on bathing.

As soon as abnormal levels and possible contamination are detected, the Junta increases the frequency of these tests until it can confirm that the water is of a suitable standard for bathing.

Not only Malaga city has had to cope with spills and other unforeseen events that have led to the closure of beaches. Other parts of the coast, such as Marbella, Torremolinos and Benalmádena also registered various incidents this summer.

"We must continue improving coordination between public authorities, but we must also make progress on structural solutions relating to sanitation and wastewater treatment. Having better water infrastructure will enable us to minimise discharges and guarantee the quality of our water in the future," Navarro stated.

The Junta currently has 75 sanitation and wastewater treatment projects for the province of Malaga, six of which have already been completed at a cost of 29.6 million euros.

In addition, eleven projects are currently under way, with a budget of 137 million. A further six projects are awaiting tender, with a budget of 25.8 million euros.

Among the most significant projects for the coastline is the comprehensive coastal management plan for the Costa del Sol, which covers the municipalities of Torremolinos, Benalmádena, Mijas, Fuengirola, Marbella, Ojén, Istán, Benahavís, Manilva and Casares. The estimated cost is around 1.3 billion euros.

Furthermore, the Junta has completed specific projects such as the new sewerage mains in San Pedro de Alcántara, with a budget of over 1.1 million euros, and the new integrated sewerage system in Fuengirola, at a cost of 8.6 million euros.

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