An inspector from the Association of Environmental and Consumer Education (ADEAC), the organisation that is responsible for awarding of the Banderas Azules mark in Spain, paid a surprise visit to Torrevieja’s beaches on 9 August, during the height of the summer season.
In a report issued by the Association last week they say that they found deficiencies on all the beaches with the blue flag award as a result of which, Diario Informacion reports of the possibility that previous assessments made in anticipation of the 2019 campaign, could now change.
However, the Torrevieja council said on Monday that ADEAC closed the incident just a few days after the inspections when the City Council sent a report confirming that all of the highlighted deficiencies had been corrected.
A source from the Association said that this type of analysis is not unusual. It occurs on a regular basis raising any problems that can be found on the beaches, and is usually carried out in the middle of August.
The inspections are carried out, not only in Torrevieja, but across all of the municipalities that can boast blue flag beaches, with the objective being to confirm that beachgoers and holidaymakers are receiving a satisfactory level of service during the height of the summer season.
The inspection was carried out on the beaches of Cabo Cervera, which gained a blue flag last summer for the first time; El Cura, Los Náufragos, Cala Piteras, Los Locos and La Mata Sur.
Among the common problems found on all beaches was insufficient cleaning of the sand and lack of material necessary for first aid services, such as approved sanitary waste containers or masks to perform resuscitation operations. However, the City Council confirmed that such items are carried by the lifeguards individually which is why they were not available at the first aid posts.
The report signed by José R. Sánchez Moro, the president of ADEAC, pointed out that in the case of the beach at La Mata Sur the frequency of emptying of bins and containers, which were full at the time of the inspection, should be increased.
He also highlighted the poor condition of the walkways with loose boards that he considered to be very dangerous.
At La Cura beach, the most popular in the city, the report recommended the provision of a jet ski for rescue. And he also questioned the cleanliness of the toilets on the beach, a common complaint for across the whole area.
The Association said that, in the event of a spill, such as the one that occurred at Los Náufragos beach, the blue flag should be lowered while in Cala Piteras, the problems related to a shortage of semi-rigid splints for the immobilisation of legs and arms and a broken-head immobiliser, although these problems were quickly rectified.
