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United Kingdom Thirty tourist beaches fail health standards
1 June 2004
BRUSSELS – The water at 30 beaches in Spain is not good enough to swim in, according to damning report by the European Commission published Tuesday.
The criticism included popular tourist beaches in Andalusia, the Balearic Islands and the Canaries.
Water standards in rivers feeding into some of these beaches was also not up to minimum health standards, the report said.
Only Asturias and Cantabria in the north and Catalonia in the north-east escaped criticism and have water that meets EC health standards.
But after analysing 1,779 costal swimming areas and 171 rivers which flow into beaches, the EC said at least 30 are not fit to swim in.
In Andalusia, water at beaches at La Juana at Carchuna and Torrenueva at Albuñol and El Cable at Motril, near Granada, failed health tests.
Other beaches that did not meet the minimum standard were Arroyo Vaquero and La Galera Dorada in Estepona and Calahonda at Mijas as well as Monche, Ferrara, Peñoncillo at Torrox.
The beach at Torre del Mar at Vélez, near Málaga, also fell below standards. The water in the River Guadiana was below health levels.
The report said Menorca had problems with the standard of the water at Cala Padera, near the town of Es Castell.
In Majorca, three beaches failed to meet standards. They were Pollença Cala D’or and Santanyi.
In Tenerife, the beaches at Castillo Bajamar de La Laguna and Las Gaviotas de Santa Cruz failed tests.
Researchers said in Fuerteventura the water at the beach at Muelleviejo near La Oliva was not good enough to swim in.
In Lanzarote, the water at El Ancla de Teguise was also not up to standard.
Water from the River Pisuerga near Valladolid in western Spain also failed tests.
Those that failed to meet standards included the River Tera in Galicia, which flows into the beaches at Pescadoira,Leño, Figueiras and La Concha.
In November last year, Spain was fined EUR 624,150 by the European Court for not ensuring that beaches and rivers did not meet the correct health Standard.
[Copyright EFE with Expatica]
Subject: Spanish news