José Chulvi: “The analyses continue to be satisfactory and therefore guarantee safe bathing”

Xàbia Mayor José Chulvi has issued a statement on his Facebook page after it was reported that there was some sort of supposed contamination identified in the sea off the Arenal beach.

His statement is re-produced in full below:

Yesterday we received information from several sailing vessel users who warned of a source of turbidity in the water off the Arenal beach.

The councillor for beaches, Antonio Miragall, immediately went to the place to check if there was any problem that could affect bathers.

The place was inspected both by the Cruz Roja boat and by the drone of the Policía Local and by the personnel of the Public Entity for Sanitation and Residual Water (EPSAR), which even carried out a technical inspection with divers in the outfall area (the second this week) to rule out any problem.

It has been verified that everything is correct and that the point at which cloudy water was seen is the point where the treated water is discharged, located outside the bay after the repair of the existing fault.

The colour of the water is attributed to the effect produced by the difference in salinity between fresh water and seawater and to the presence of small algae. In no case is it toxic. In addition, there were sea currents yesterday which also affected the appearance of the water.

The analyses that are carried out weekly on the beach (and the rest of the bathing areas of Xàbia) continue to be satisfactory and therefore guarantee safe bathing (these analyses can be consulted both on the municipal website www.ajxabia.org and at the Cruz Roja rescue stations). EPSAR also does its own daily analyses that certify that the condition of the water is good.

On behalf of the local council, we wish to thank the citizens for their cooperation which helps us improve and protect our environment.

Please pay attention to official sources from the local council and ignore possible hoaxes which only achieve confusion and generate unease among bathers.

We would emphasise that the discharge into the sea or river basins of the waters that have passed through the purification system are perfectly regulated in our country and that, to be authorised, the treated water must meet specific requirements.

As for the breakdown that occurred at the end of April in the outfall (in the pipe), it has not affected the quality of the water that is discharged at any time, but rather the place where it is made. The General Directorate of Water – which is not part of the local council but of the regional government – considered it urgent to repair it because the pipe ruptured in the middle of the bathing area (30 metres away). After its repair, which was completed two weeks ago, it discharges 250 metres from the shore, outside the bay of the Arenal.

Soon, the regional body will proceed to totally replace the pipeline up locating it 1.3 kilometres away. This work, which is no longer considered urgent, will be carried out jointly with other infrastructure improvements along the Valencian coast which were damaged by the Storm Gloria. The local council has asked that it be done as quickly as possible.