Feces on the beach: Tenerife investigates pollution involving officials

The prosecutor's office has taken up the case of pollution at Playa Jardín beach in Tenerife. This beach, located in the municipality of Puerto de la Cruz, has been closed for almost a year due to the discovery of fecal matter in the water.

Six officials are under suspicion, including:

• Alberto Bernabé – former head of tourism for the local council of Tenerife (until 2019);
• Marco González – former mayor of Puerto de la Cruz;
• Blanca Pérez – island councilor for environmental issues;
• Javier Davara – head of the Island Council for Water Resources;
• David Hernández and Alberto Cabo – councilors of Puerto de la Cruz.

According to Canarias Ahora, the prosecutor's office recalled that the beach was closed in July 2024 due to the "deterioration" of water quality. This was mentioned in a report by the Canary Islands Health Service (SCS) as early as June 21, 2024.

The report recommended taking measures to stop the pollution by fecal matter and microbes, which is likely related to how the city's infrastructure operates.

The prosecutor's office notes that the sewage system in the city "has serious problems, and many houses are not connected to the network, so they discharge waste into cesspools."

Regarding the wastewater treatment plant in the La Orotava valley, which belongs to the local council, it is important to regularly inspect it and repair leaks and bursts.

The council should have done this at least once a year, but it appears that it has not.

Near Playa Jardín, it is permitted to discharge urban wastewater from the treatment plants of La Orotava, Puerto de la Cruz, and Los Realejos.

The prosecutor's office claims that since 2016, the local council has not guaranteed the quality of the water (neither in terms of biology nor infrastructure), although it should have done so under a monitoring program.

In addition, there are two pumping stations near the beach for which the city authorities have not obtained a discharge permit. In 2023, the Canary Islands Environmental Protection Agency issued a fine, but it is unknown whether attempts have been made to legalize them.

The prosecutor's report states that "there is evidence that from January to June 2024 there were overflows, leading to illegal discharges."

In 2024, the government of the Canary Islands allowed the discharge of treated urban wastewater into the sea through a pipe in Punta Brava.

As early as 2011, responsibility for this structure was transferred to the local council, but some conditions have not yet been changed. On July 10, 2020, a leak was discovered during an underwater inspection, which was only repaired in June 2023.

According to the prosecutor's office, after the closure of Playa Jardín, the local council only "temporarily repaired the underwater pipe in order to later carry out a final repair." This involves replacing about 240 meters of pipe because it is "outdated."

The results of more than 600 water tests at Playa Jardín from 2020 to 2024 showed the presence of microbes indicating fecal contamination.

According to these data, the situation has deteriorated sharply since 2018, leading to a "deterioration" in water quality: it was good in 2021, satisfactory in 2023, and unsatisfactory a year later.

"Urban wastewater contains pathogenic microorganisms that can cause various diseases, such as gastroenteritis, respiratory diseases, diarrhea, vomiting, myocarditis, and meningitis."

According to the prosecutor's office, it is the city authorities of Puerto de la Cruz who must ensure the cleanliness and safety of the beach.

Analyses by Seprona (a unit of the Spanish Civil Guard) showed that wastewater is not being treated sufficiently, there is a strong smell of chlorine (which is not recommended in such cases), and fecal bacteria are affecting the quality of bathing water.