Loulé Câmara has sent out information to its residents and bathers in the area, reassuring them of the good quality of the seawater along the Quarteira coast, and stressing that “there is no danger to public health”. The announcement follows the decision of the Blue Flag Commission not to award Quarteira the European Blue Flag this year.
The Blue Flag Commission made its decision after experts carried out tests on July 5 that produced ‘positive’ results’, betraying signs of water contamination. But the câmara executive, led by Seruca Emîdio, believes “the water was treated incorrectly”. Loulé Câmara officials say that they have carried out further analysis, which shows that the values were absolutely normal and acceptable for the award of the flag.
In spite of its protest, the câmara is resigned to the fact that the prestigious Blue Flag cannot be hoisted on Quarteira beach this year. But Emídio says he “laments this because in all situations there is always the possibility of confirming the results via further analysis, something that did not happen in this case.”
The Câmara President went on to say that Quarteira beach has been awarded the Blue Flag for the last 15 years and that no problems have been reported with regard to the water quality during that entire period.
