Swimming banned on Mar Menor beaches after worrying water analysis
Lifeguards raised the red flags on these beaches to stop people going in the water as a precautionary measure
Swimming in the water has been temporarily banned off the Playa de la Gola beach in La Manga del Mar Menor and Playa Paraíso beach in Cartagena following water tests conducted by municipal authorities.
Red flags were raised on both these Mar Menor beaches this Wednesday July 30 and continue raised on Thursday 31, though Cartagena City Council say they have “not detected any incident in the sewage and sanitation network that could be related to this episode”.
The technicians are assessing the possibility that a recent easterly storm dragged “maritime discharges” into the Mar Menor through the La Gola channel from the Mediterranean Sea, such as those detected last week on several beaches of La Manga, and which forced several Mediterranean-facing beaches to be closed for 24 hours.
A statement from Cartagena City Council reads, “Water quality analyses are carried out daily in all bathing areas to ensure the safety of holidaymakers. The scientific process to determine the result is obtained after 48 hours, due to the technique required. These analyses correspond to the sample taken on July 28.”
It will depend on the results of future tests when the beaches can be reopened for swimming.
Earlier this month, the beach of Puerto de Mazarrón was closed for 24 hours due to the detection of faecal contamination in the water.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena
