MALAGA has launched a new water watchdog after bacteria contamination triggered a summer of beach closures along the Costa del Sol.
The new commission will include representatives from Malaga, Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Marbella, Mijas and Fuengirola, alongside regional government officials.
With meetings every two months, the task force will monitor water quality, investigate the causes of contamination, and improve the response when beaches are affected.
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The move follows a summer of repeated closures after tests detected elevated levels of Escherichia coli (E.coli), a bacteria commonly associated with faecal contamination.
Malaga was forced to shut six beaches to swimmers in August after tests found E. coli levels above permitted limits.
The closures followed heavy rainfall which overwhelmed parts of the city’s ageing drainage system, causing wastewater discharges into the sea.
The problems have gone beyond Malaga city, with beaches in Benalmadena, Mijas and Velez-Malaga also hit by contamination incidents and bathing restrictions this summer.
The Andalucian government insisted health officials already carry out regular inspections throughout the bathing season, which runs from June 1 to September 30.
When abnormal contamination levels are detected, officials ramp up tests until water quality returns to acceptable levels.
However, the new commission is also intended to tackle the problem at source, with the government admitting that better sewage and wastewater treatment infrastructure is needed.
It says 75 sewage and water-treatment projects are currently planned across Malaga province, including a massive €1.3 billion scheme designed to improve the Costa del Sol’s sewage network.
The proposed project would cover Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Mijas, Fuengirola, Marbella, Ojen, Istan, Benahavis, Manilva and Casares.
The move comes after a summer in which beach closures have raised fresh questions over whether the region’s ageing water infrastructure can cope with its booming population and tourism industry.
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