One of Cadiz’s busiest beaches has been hit with a temporary swimming warning after elevated levels of bacteria linked to faecal contamination were detected in the water.
The Andalucian Health Ministry has advised people not to enter the sea at Atlanterra beach, near Tarifa, after water quality tests found abnormally high levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci.
The precautionary warning applies only to Atlanterra. Nearby beaches, including Playa del Carmen in Zahara de los Atunes, remain open for swimming and continue to fly the green flag.
While authorities await the results of further water samples, Tarifa Town Hall insists the contamination did not originate from the area’s wastewater treatment plant and is instead investigating the possibility of an illegal sewage discharge.
The theory has been backed by water company Aqualia, which says it has submitted a technical report to the Campo de Gibraltar Health Authority concluding that the Atlanterra wastewater treatment plant (EDAR) was operating normally when the contamination was detected.
According to the company, operational records show no breakdowns or incidents that could have affected the treatment process, despite wastewater volumes increasing by almost 48% during the peak summer tourist season.
Aqualia also said tests carried out on July 14 met all legal standards, while preliminary results from a second sample taken on July 20 found E. coli and enterococci levels well below the legal limits at the authorised discharge point.
Tarifa mayor Jose Antonio Santos Perea and beaches councillor Nacho Trujillo said analyses carried out by both the municipality and Aqualia rule out the authorised discharge from the treatment plant as the source of the pollution.
Instead, officials now believe an unknown illegal discharge may have temporarily contaminated the water and say efforts are under way to identify its source.
Legal action has not been ruled out if an illegal spill is confirmed.
The swimming warning will remain in place until fresh microbiological testing confirms the water has returned to safer levels.
In the meantime, the town hall has erected warning signs along the beach and raised the yellow flag to alert bathers.
Health officials said exposure to water contaminated with high levels of faecal bacteria can cause illnesses including gastroenteritis, ear infections, conjunctivitis and skin infections, particularly in children, older people and those with weakened immune systems.
The incident comes just a year after Atlanterra experienced several swimming bans during the summer of 2024, when sewage pollution was linked to problems at the wastewater treatment plant.
Those incidents prompted complaints from residents and environmental groups and led to a criminal investigation by the Environmental Prosecutor’s Office into untreated sewage discharges.
A long-term solution is still several years away. Plans for a new offshore outfall pipe for the Atlanterra treatment plant have been completed, but the project is not expected to go out to tender until 2027.
