STORY UPDATED: HERE
Bathing in the water at the beach has been banned today due to faecal coliform levels registered in the water “far above the maximum allowed by law”, according to Nuno Cortes Lopes from the Port of Faro.
He told Lusa news agency; “The result of microbiological analyses of seawater on Monday revealed values far above the maximum value allowed by law, so, in coordination with the health authority, bathing on the beach of Faro was advised against," said Nuno Cortes Lopes, Commander of the Port of Faro.
According to the head of the National Maritime Authority, the Blue Flag, a symbol of bathing water quality, was lowered and the red flag “banning bathing” was raised.
Nuno Cortes Lopes said that the ban on bathing “is restricted to Faro beach”, and that the situation is being permanently monitored by ARH / Algarve (Administration of the Hydrographic Region), a body integrated in the Portuguese Environment Agency by the Algarve Regional Health Administration.
"There is a permanent monitoring of water quality, with new samples being taken today, the results of which will only be known tomorrow [Wednesday] and will determine whether or not the ban will be maintained," he stressed.
Nuno Cortes Lopes added that the maximum values ??allowed by law refer to the bacterium Escherichia Coli, commonly known as E.Coli, which indicates contamination by high concentration of faecal coliforms.
“The causes of this high concentration of faecal coliforms are unknown, and there are several possibilities, one of which is an untreated discharge from a vessel,” concluded the head of the Maritime Authority.
This is terrible! I hope they can find out which ship unloaded their toilets in the water and prosecute them. I recommend Portugal to increase punishment to 10 years in prison and civil liability to to ships owners. Awful.
By Fredrik Bermar from Algarve on 15 Aug 2019, 10:29
The local sewage is being emptied into the sea which is why there is a distinctive smell in the air... Also why there is a thriving shellfish industry there... The locals don't eat their own shellfish.. It's all exported to France.... That's why there is e. Coli in the water... Not some ship discharging toilet waste
By Mazher Farooqui from UK on 16 Aug 2019, 06:42