Praia da Batata in Lagos banned bathing yesterday after an analysis of the quality of the water, carried out by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), revealed microbiological values above the reference parameters, deeming the sea unsuitable for bathing.
After having received information from the Portuguese Environment Agency, which advised against bathing, the captain of Porto de Lagos indicated that the red flag be hoisted on the beach, prohibiting bathing.
"The situation is being monitored by the Portuguese Environment Agency and new water quality analysis will be carried out during today", explained the National Maritime Authority in a statement.
The ban on bathing will be maintained until the results of the water quality analysis indicate that the microbiological values are within the reference parameters.
Last Monday, the red flag was hoisted at Praia dos Pescadores, in Albufeira, after the burst of a pipeline to the sea. But the next day it was ready for bathers to return again.
The Algarve beach had been closed at the end of Monday afternoon, after detecting the rupture of a pipeline that sent waste to the sea. The National Maritime Authority announced that it had detected“the presence of brown water and an intense odour on the beach, with the red flag hoisted”, which indicates to bathers the ban on entering the sea. But on Tuesday the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) guaranteed that “the microbiological tests carried out in the bathing water of Praia dos Pescadores indicate that there is no risk to the health of users”. With the results obtained, “the situation has returned to normal, today, July 20th”, he added.
The same source indicated that the rupture occurred in a “water supply pipeline” in the city of Albufeira and that “the water was drained to the beach, reaching the sea through the Pescadores beach pier, dragging away many sediments generated by the erosion that occurred in the area affected by the rupture”.
"The situation was promptly identified and resolved and, as a precautionary measure, the Maritime Authority raised the red flag on the beach until the analytical results of the samples proved that the water quality was compatible with the bathing practice", said the APA in a statement .
Original article available in Portuguese at http://postal.pt/
