The Environmental Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against six public officials in relation to the contamination of Playa Jardín, a well-known beach in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. The beach was closed to the public for almost a year due to faecal contamination, which posed serious risks to public health and tourism.
Those accused include:
- Alberto Bernabé, former head of the Tourism Department of the Cabildo de Tenerife (until 2019).
- Marco González, former mayor of Puerto de la Cruz.
- Blanca Pérez, island Environment Councillor.
- Javier Dávara, manager of the Island Water Council (CIATF).
- David Hernández and Alberto Cabo, councillors of Puerto de la Cruz.
The charges follow repeated reports of environmental breaches, negligence in infrastructure management, and failures in water quality monitoring.
Evidence of Pollution and Neglect
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the municipality has “significant deficiencies in its sanitation network”. Numerous homes remain unconnected to the sewage system, resulting in domestic wastewater being discharged directly into cesspools.
The brief recalls that in July 2024, the Puerto de la Cruz City Council officially closed Playa Jardín after a Canary Islands Health Service (SCS) report (21 June 2024) confirmed severe water degradation. This report urged immediate action by the Regional Ministry of Ecological Transition to prevent further faecal contamination and microbiological risks.
Failures in Wastewater Treatment and Infrastructure
- Valle de La Orotava Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP): Located near Punta Brava and under the Cabildo’s responsibility, it should undergo yearly inspections, repairs, and monitoring. However, no record of such maintenance was found.
- Pumping Stations: Two stations near the beach operated without the legally required authorisation. In 2023, the Canary Islands Agency for the Protection of the Natural Environment issued sanctions, but the authorisations were never regularised.
- Outfall Leaks: An underwater inspection in July 2020 detected a leak in the submarine outfall at Punta Brava. Repairs were only carried out in June 2023, three years later.
The Prosecutor’s report also documents that between January and June 2024, emergency spillways were activated, causing unauthorised discharges directly into the sea.
Long-Term Degradation of Water Quality
More than 600 inspections and water samples collected by the Directorate-General for Public Health between 2020 and 2024 confirm the presence of faecal microbiological agents.
- Water quality indicators have deteriorated significantly since 2018.
- Classification shifted from “good” (2021) to “sufficient” (2023), and finally to “insufficient” in 2024.
- The Cabildo’s monitoring programme, in place since 2016, consistently failed to guarantee safe bathing conditions, either biologically or structurally.
Despite the closure, the Cabildo reportedly limited its intervention to “provisional repairs” of the outfall, rather than addressing the obsolete infrastructure. A permanent fix would require replacing at least 240 metres of the submarine outfall.
Health Risks and Expert Findings
The Prosecutor underlines the serious health consequences of untreated wastewater in bathing areas. Urban sewage carries pathogenic microorganisms linked to:
- Gastroenteritis
- Respiratory infections
- Diarrhoea and vomiting
- Myocarditis and meningitis
Analyses conducted by Seprona (the environmental branch of the Civil Guard) further revealed that:
- The WWTP was failing to treat wastewater adequately.
- There was a persistent smell of chlorine, whose use is not recommended in such contexts.
- Faecal bacteria were present at levels impacting beach water quality.
Responsibility and Legal Action
The Public Prosecutor’s Office holds the Puerto de la Cruz City Council primarily responsible for ensuring that Playa Jardín remains in a clean, hygienic, and safe condition for public use.
By failing to act on repeated reports, neglecting necessary infrastructure repairs, and allowing unauthorised discharges, six officials now face charges of environmental negligence and mismanagement of public infrastructure.
