Porto Pim beach, in Faial, Azores, was reopened for bathing today, after the results of water tests confirmed no source of contamination at the site, contrary to initial suspicions.
“The results indicate that the water quality is within acceptable parameters,” a source from the Regional Secretariat for the Environment, which is responsible for managing the bathing area, which is part of a Protected Landscape area and which has been awarded the European Blue Flag, told Lusa.
The Captaincy of the Port of Horta and the Health Delegate have therefore decided to lift the bathing restrictions that had been imposed as a precaution on Wednesday, after the lifeguards alerted the authorities to the existence of stains of pollution in the water and intense smells.
At the time, the red flag was raised on Porto Pim beach and the beach was partially closed, as indicated by the Health Delegate, instructing bathers to use only one area of the beach, as they suspected that the water could be contaminated by fecal bacteria.
The results of the analysis now known did not confirm the existence of bacteria above the limits allowed by law, so the bathing area has since been reopened to the public.
