Diarrhea and skin diseases Vacation paradise closes beaches due to fecal matter alarm

Swimming is no longer permitted on some beaches in Tenerife. The reason is that there are clearly too many faecal bacteria in the water.

During the summer vacations, several beaches on Tenerife, including Playa Jardín, Playa de Las Teresitas and Playa de Troya, were suddenly closed. The reason: a massive overdose of faecal bacteria, as reported by "RTL" and others.

The wastewater that is discharged into the sea contains bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), which can cause health risks such as diarrhea, respiratory infections and skin diseases. The situation is particularly critical at Playa Jardín, where the water quality has deteriorated significantly over the last eight years.

The well-known beach had to be closed a few weeks ago as a result. It is unclear how long it will remain closed. The authorities have imposed the bathing ban "until further notice".

Tenerife is struggling with an outdated and overloaded wastewater infrastructure that can no longer cope with the increasing volumes of wastewater caused by mass tourism. Many sewage treatment plants are overloaded, pipes are outdated and not all houses are connected to the sewage system. Upgrading the infrastructure is expensive.

In recent years, bathing bans have had to be imposed time and again, sometimes for several weeks.