Environmental authorities today banned Vale do Lobo and Quarteira beaches in the municipality of Loulé from bathing due to the presence of bacteria harmful to health in seawater, said the captain of the port of Faro.
Commander Santos Pereira told the Lusa agency that the analysis of the quality of sea water carried out by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) detected the presence of fecal coliforms in the water and the regional health delegate ordered the banning of the two beaches to bathing.
The same source said that, after receiving the information from the health delegate, the maritime authorities raised the red flag on the two beaches, until further analysis confirms that the water quality is restored and does not present health risks.
“The red flag was raised in the middle of the afternoon,” said the captain of the port of Faro, stressing that the APA will continue to test the sea water on the two beaches, as part of the regular testing of the quality of sea water that it does on Portuguese beaches.
The beaches of Vale do Lobo and Quarteira are two of the main bathing areas in the municipality of Loulé (Faro district).
