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Sources from the captaincies of Olhão and Portimão stated that the decision is based on water samples that revealed the presence of E. coli bacteria, in the case of Fuseta, and enterococci, in the case of Armação de Pêra.
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Environmental authorities prohibited bathing this Tuesday at Fuseta-Ria beach, in the municipality of Olhão, and advised against swimming in the sea at Armação de Pêra, in the municipality of Silves, due to microbiological contamination in the water.
Sources from the captaincy of Olhão, which is responsible for the area of Fuseta, and the Portimão captaincy, overseeing the beaches in the Silves area, informed Lusa that the decision is based on water samples that revealed the presence of E. coli bacteria in the case of Fuseta and enterococci in the case of Armação de Pêra.
“At 11:00, we received communication from the health delegate stating that bathing was prohibited,” said Alexandre Algarvio, the captain of the Olhão port, specifying that it was an analysis conducted on Monday and that “a new sample has already been collected this Tuesday for analysis.”
The environmental authorities will now conduct a new analysis, which will determine whether the prohibition at Fuseta-Ria beach, located in Ria Formosa (district of Faro), will continue, added the port captain.
Regarding Armação de Pêra, the captain of the Portimão port informed Lusa that the Algarve Hydrographic Administration (ARH), based on advice from the Algarve Regional Health Authority, discouraged bathing due to the results of an analysis carried out on a sample taken on Monday.
As “values of intestinal enterococci above the limit value were detected, bathing is discouraged,” stated Eduardo Pousadas Godinho, stressing that the measure took effect this Tuesday and will remain in place at least until Wednesday.
The same source emphasized that this is a forecast still subject to confirmation, as it depends on the results of the samples collected this Tuesday.