Albufeira City Hall has announced this Tuesday, October 7, that the city's urban beaches are closed to swimming to ensure swimmers' safety, following a "rupture" in the pumping pipe at the Vale Faro Wastewater Pumping Station (EEAR).

"The situation has already led to the raising of red flags on Pescadores, Peneco, Inatel, and Alemães beaches. The decision was made after analyses detected the presence of contamination and aims to ensure the safety of all people using the municipality's beaches," the city government explained in a post on social media.

The municipality explained that the situation had already been reported by Águas do Algarve, SA, which detected a "rupture in a DN300 ductile, integrated into the pumping pipe of the Vale Faro Wastewater Pumping Station (EEAR).

"The situation was detected on October 5, and repair work was promptly initiated," adds the statement from the Albufeira City Council, which explains that "full stabilization of the flow was confirmed early yesterday afternoon [Monday, October 6]."

The municipality says it is "monitoring the evolution of the situation," in "close collaboration with Águas do Algarve and other competent entities," to "ensure that normality is restored quickly," and safe.