El 7 Set in english by Brenda Cundell
Analyses carried out by Alcala-Alcossebre Council classify the Las Fuentes beach as suitable for bathing
It is hoped that the results from the Conselleria will decree the reopening of the beach for bathing
![[Img #73947]](http://el7set.es/upload/images/07_2019/799_4514_2907-platja-fonts.jpg)
Analyses undertaken by the Alcala-Alcossebre Council following-up the environmental quality of the water on the Las Fuentes beach result in leading to optimism for bathing. In samples taken on Friday 26th July at mid-day and on Saturday 27th, the analyses show a 0 index for E-coli, so that the emergency actions taken by the Council, to alleviate the contamination detected on the 24th, have been effective. In spite of these good results, Alcala-Alcossebre Council hopes to receive the analyses undertaken by the Valencian Generalitat General Water Management which is the body which authorises bathing. According to what the General Water Management has confirmed, it is hoped that tomorrow the new analyses will be available.
On Friday morning, immediately on receipt of the order from the Conselleria having detected faecal contamination on the beach coming from the southern spring, the Council had an evacuation system installed to redirect the water to a pumping station which would take it to the sewage network. According to the company which manages the municipal sewage, the hypothesis was put forward that there had been a break at some point in the drainage system, which had led to the filtration of contamination and is being investigated, carrying out tests of fluorescence aiming to find the point of the leak.
The Las Fuentes beach is considered to have “special characteristics”, by the Valencian Generalitat General Water Management, because of the water springs situated right in the centre of the beach and of their closed morphology. In July 2017 there was a similar episode, with contamination which also came from the springs. The actions carried out by the Alcala-Alcossebre Council went on for practically a year, aiming to discover the origin of the spillage: the sewage network was investigated, installations and irrigation wells were controlled within a radius delineated by specialists and, with the cooperation of hotels and communities of owners, the state of the evacuation mechanisms of waste waters to the public network were revised. Also, different investments were made in the renewal of the drainage and sewage network in the calle Jai Alai, paseo Tomillo, Las Fuentes squares and the Avenida Manila. During 2017 and 2018, the Council invested 170,000 euros in the various actions to inspect and improve the sewage network in the Las Fuentes area, added to which was financial cooperation from both the Valencian Generalitat and the Provincial Diputación, with 50,000 euros from each administration, making a total of 270,000 euros. They also continued works projects to renew the sewage system in the zone such as those carried out from September valued at 120,000 euros. In 2018, there was not a single closure episode on the Las Fuentes beach, as the results of the analyses were all optimum for bathing. This summer no beach in Alcossebre was affected although there were several beach closures along the coast of the province.
Mayor Francisco Juan insisted that “we have put all the technical and financial measures which were at our disposal so that the contamination could not happen again. In 2018. The results were excellent and, this year, 2019, we have acted with all the urgency possible to divert the water from the bathing area so that the parameters permit us to reopen for bathing. It is a beach with certain very special characteristics and a specific problem which does not occur in the rest of the municipality’s beaches which have been recognised with four blue flags”. The Council has provided free transport from Las Fuentes to the playa del Cargador so that residents and visitors can get there at no cost whatsoever. From the 27th July, the Council provided buses for beach-goers to travel to other beaches in the municipality. The buses run every half an hour from 10:00h until 14:00 h and from 16:00h to 20:00 h.
Tomorrow, 30th July, a meeting has been called at which there will be present engineers from the General Water Management, engineers from the company which manages the municipal sewage network and members of the municipal corporation.
Analyses undertaken by the Alcala-Alcossebre Council following-up the environmental quality of the water on the Las Fuentes beach result in leading to optimism for bathing. In samples taken on Friday 26th July at mid-day and on Saturday 27th, the analyses show a 0 index for E-coli, so that the emergency actions taken by the Council, to alleviate the contamination detected on the 24th, have been effective. In spite of these good results, Alcala-Alcossebre Council hopes to receive the analyses undertaken by the Valencian Generalitat General Water Management which is the body which authorises bathing. According to what the General Water Management has confirmed, it is hoped that tomorrow the new analyses will be available.
On Friday morning, immediately on receipt of the order from the Conselleria having detected faecal contamination on the beach coming from the southern spring, the Council had an evacuation system installed to redirect the water to a pumping station which would take it to the sewage network. According to the company which manages the municipal sewage, the hypothesis was put forward that there had been a break at some point in the drainage system, which had led to the filtration of contamination and is being investigated, carrying out tests of fluorescence aiming to find the point of the leak.
The Las Fuentes beach is considered to have “special characteristics”, by the Valencian Generalitat General Water Management, because of the water springs situated right in the centre of the beach and of their closed morphology. In July 2017 there was a similar episode, with contamination which also came from the springs. The actions carried out by the Alcala-Alcossebre Council went on for practically a year, aiming to discover the origin of the spillage: the sewage network was investigated, installations and irrigation wells were controlled within a radius delineated by specialists and, with the cooperation of hotels and communities of owners, the state of the evacuation mechanisms of waste waters to the public network were revised. Also, different investments were made in the renewal of the drainage and sewage network in the calle Jai Alai, paseo Tomillo, Las Fuentes squares and the Avenida Manila. During 2017 and 2018, the Council invested 170,000 euros in the various actions to inspect and improve the sewage network in the Las Fuentes area, added to which was financial cooperation from both the Valencian Generalitat and the Provincial Diputación, with 50,000 euros from each administration, making a total of 270,000 euros. They also continued works projects to renew the sewage system in the zone such as those carried out from September valued at 120,000 euros. In 2018, there was not a single closure episode on the Las Fuentes beach, as the results of the analyses were all optimum for bathing. This summer no beach in Alcossebre was affected although there were several beach closures along the coast of the province.
Mayor Francisco Juan insisted that “we have put all the technical and financial measures which were at our disposal so that the contamination could not happen again. In 2018. The results were excellent and, this year, 2019, we have acted with all the urgency possible to divert the water from the bathing area so that the parameters permit us to reopen for bathing. It is a beach with certain very special characteristics and a specific problem which does not occur in the rest of the municipality’s beaches which have been recognised with four blue flags”. The Council has provided free transport from Las Fuentes to the playa del Cargador so that residents and visitors can get there at no cost whatsoever. From the 27th July, the Council provided buses for beach-goers to travel to other beaches in the municipality. The buses run every half an hour from 10:00h until 14:00 h and from 16:00h to 20:00 h.
Tomorrow, 30th July, a meeting has been called at which there will be present engineers from the General Water Management, engineers from the company which manages the municipal sewage network and members of the municipal corporation.