From
THE COASTRIDER
First of the Summer Sewage
It came as no surprise to the residents living near the Barranco Rubio beach at Campamor, when sewage started appearing on the normally lovely and popular beach. Almost every year as the summer residents appear, 200m of the aging sewage system breaks down, spewing raw filth and sewage from the broken joints. Much of the stinking sewage seeps onto the nearby beach.
The problem came to light during the first weekend of July, when bathers and local residents reported the problem to lifeguards patrolling the beach. After several days nothing appeared to have been done about the problem and locals then contacted C.L.A.R.O. party representatives. C.L.A.R.O. then took positive action by contacting local police and the environment agency. In a statement from C.L.A.R.O. they proclaim, “The 200 metres of sewage pipes are on private land where some three years ago houses were built much closer to the sea than the 100 metre limit of the Ley de la Costa (coastal boundary law). The 200 metres of pipe do not serve only this relatively new development but a significant part of Campoamor which has expanded greatly over the past 20 years. When the new houses were built some three years ago, the Town Hall did not renew the sewage system and place it on public land as they should have done, but took the usual easy way out of just leaving it as it was. Inevitably, the consequences of that decision are now being felt by those living nearby and the holiday-makers using the beach.”
It is obvious that this spillage can cause serious health problems to unsuspecting beach users. Several people on the beach complained of skin disorders which they have experienced when swimming in the sea off the beach. In some places the sewage is quite obvious, in others a simple act of scraping the surface layer of sand back exposes smelly polluted water. Children could be seen digging in the sand making sand castles.
C.L.A.R.O. further commented, “We have been assured by those present that the Town Hall knows very well what the problem is and what solution is required. They have simply done nothing, except pretend that the water was not polluted and that the problem arose from the draining of a swimming pool.”
NOTE: Before going to press, Jose Antonio Aniorte Grau, Councillor for Orihuela Costa, contacted the press with the town hall’s analysis of the water. Please see the next article.
Sean McSeveney