The Málaga City Council has prohibited swimming at the beaches of Pedregalejo, El Palo and Baños del Carmen after detecting elevated levels of Escherichia coli. The health alert came from the Department of Health and Consumption.
The Málaga City Council has declared a temporary closure for swimming at the beaches of Pedregalejo, El Palo and Baños del Carmen after the Department of Health and Consumption of the Junta de Andalucía issued a health alert. Routine water analyses revealed concentrations of the fecal bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) exceeding the limits established by Royal Decree 1341/2007.
Municipal teams have raised the red flag along the affected coastline, strictly prohibiting swimming. The contamination has been located at the sampling points known as 'Acacias' (Pedregalejo) and 'Casa Pedro' (El Palo).
At the moment, no specific timeline has been set for the reopening of the beaches. The closure will remain in effect until the Territorial Delegation of Health and Consumption conducts new analyses that confirm the elimination of the health risk. Authorities emphasize that the measure is strictly temporary.
The main hypothesis considered by municipal technicians from the Municipal Water Company (EMASA) points to a possible leak or break in a collector of the sewage network that transports wastewater to the Peñón del Cuervo treatment plant. However, there is no definitive official confirmation. Authorities have ruled out that the contamination is related to the ongoing renovation works on the promenade in the area.
The presence of E. coli in the water can cause gastrointestinal infections, especially in children, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems. Therefore, the City Council recommends avoiding contact with the water at these beaches until further notice.
This situation coincides with the preventive closure of all beaches in Alicante, although for different reasons: a red alert has been activated there due to a heatwave and the risk of storms with strong gusts of wind. In Málaga, the focus is on water quality and locating the source of contamination.
Residents and tourists visiting the area must respect the red flag signage and the swimming prohibition. It is recommended to check the status of the beaches on the official channels of the Málaga City Council or the Junta de Andalucía before heading out.
EMASA continues inspection work on the sewage network to locate the possible discharge point. Once repaired, new microbiological analyses will be conducted. If the results are favourable, the prohibition can be lifted and swimming can resume normally.
The closure of these three beaches is a setback for bathers in the height of summer, especially in an area with high tourist traffic. The beach of Pedregalejo, one of the busiest in the capital, is often frequented by families and young people. El Palo, for its part, is a traditional enclave of the city. Baños del Carmen, although smaller, is also a landmark.
The Málaga City Council has assured that they are working with the utmost urgency to restore normalcy. However, they insist that the priority is public health and that the beaches will not reopen until there are absolute guarantees of safety.
In the meantime, bathers can opt for other unaffected beaches in the capital, such as La Malagueta or Misericordia, although it is recommended to stay alert for possible changes in the situation. The health alert has been confined to the three mentioned beaches.
The Junta de Andalucía, through the Territorial Delegation of Health, coordinates the analyses and risk assessment. Results from new samples are expected in the coming days to determine if the problem has been resolved.
Such episodes are not common at Málaga's beaches, although they have been recorded in other parts of the Andalusian coast in previous seasons. Breaks in collectors or torrential rains are usually the most common causes of fecal contamination along the coast.
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