Two Torremolinos beaches reopen for swimming after receiving all-clear following sewage leak

Environment

The municipal water company Emasa has implemented a temporary fix to the break in the two sewer pipes that caused the closure of Guadalmar and Los Alamos beaches due to the presence of faecal bacteria

José Rodríguez Cámara

The Torremolinos beach of Los Alamos is open again, after the latest analyses by regional government to measure water quality were made known.

Malaga city ... council is responding in the same manner in the Arraijanal area, next to the golf course, after receiving an official communiqué from the regional health ministry for a similar situation, following water samples taken on 18 May.

Malaga's municipal water company (Emasa) has implemented a temporary fix. It was deemed necessary after two sewer pipes burst due to flooding of the Guadalhorce river following the heavy rains of the last weekend of December.

The water eroded one of the supports under the pipes that cross the riverbed, causing a section of approximately 50 metres to collapse into the river. Work has been underway since then to repair the section and eradicate the damage at the river mouth.

On 23 April, Torremolinos town hall raised the red flag along its coastline bordering Malaga after detecting substandard water quality.

From that point on, a protocol for continuous monitoring of the situation was put in place, involving regular checks and ongoing coordination with the relevant authorities, in order to guarantee public health and safety.

According to Friday's checks, officials in Torremolinos confirmed that the microbiological parameters are now within the levels established by current regulations, as noted by local government.

Source of the problem

The sanitation system in the Guadalmar area and the mouth of the Guadalhorce river, in the area adjacent to the golf course, is affected by the facilities being pretty obsolete, coupled with coastal erosion due to rising sea levels and the effects of river flooding.

This problem, sited right on the border between the municipalities of Malaga city and Torremolinos, led Malaga city council to also decide to ban any bathing along the affected stretch of its coastline. The decision came after an official communiqué from the Junta's regional health ministry recommending preventative measures following detection of the presence of Escherichia coli (faecal bacteria).

Action taken

After learning of the pipe breaks, Emasa shut down the Guadalmar and Campo de Golf pumping stations to prevent wastewater from both districts of Churriana and Torremolinos from flowing directly into the river. To minimise the effects of this discharge, wastewater has been released offshore via a 475-metre-long outfall pipe.

A more lasting solution

In parallel, work has begun on the permanent replacement of the pumping pipes, which will be installed underground to reduce the effect of potential river flooding and to eliminate their visual impact. The contract was awarded to Proyectos Técnicos y Obras Civiles SA, with a budget of 1,820,912.69 euros (IVA included) and a completion time of four months.

The project includes the installation of two 120-metere-long, one-metre-diameter pipelines that will cross the river's low-water channel and continue for another 160 metres until they connect the network that leads to the treatment plant. In addition, the remains of the overhead crossing of the damaged pipes will also be dismantled.