The Malaga City Council has ordered the temporary closure of the Pedregalejo and El Palo beaches, located in the city's East district. This measure was taken at the request of the Consejería de Salud y Consumo of the Junta de Andalucía (Andalusian Regional Government), after receiving an official communication.
The communication from the Junta de Andalucía recommends the implementation of preventive measures after various samples detected the presence of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Specifically, a concentration higher than optimal levels was recorded around the sampling points designated 'Acacias' and 'Casa Pedro'.
The samples confirm an E. coli concentration that exceeds the levels established by Royal Decree 1341/07, which regulates the quality of bathing waters. As a warning protocol and to protect public health, the City Council has hoisted red flags, prohibiting access to the water.
This prohibition will remain in effect until the Delegación Territorial de Salud y Consumo (Territorial Delegation of Health and Consumption) confirms the disappearance of the health risk. The measure affects both sides of the eastern coastline.
This is not the first time a similar situation has occurred. In May, the Campo de Golf and Los Álamos beaches in Torremolinos remained closed for weeks due to the detection of E. coli. In that instance, the origin was attributed to the rupture of two sanitation pipes caused by the flooding of the Guadalhorce river.
The Empresa Municipal de Aguas de Málaga (EMASA) (Municipal Water Company of Malaga) intervened at that time with measures such as halting pumping systems and discharging wastewater into the sea via an outfall. Water was also channeled towards the Guadalhorce treatment plant through a reversible section of the network, serving as a temporary solution while definitive replacement works were carried out.
These works included the installation of new underground pipelines and the removal of damaged infrastructure, with a contract awarded for 1.8 million euros and an execution period of four months.
