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A large discharge into the sea between the beaches of Adeje and Arona in southern Tenerife has sparked concern after marine documentary producer Felipe Ravina shared footage of the incident on social media.
The incident took place near the Barranco de Troya area yesterday, Friday, where a brown plume of water was clearly visible flowing into the sea.
Ravina, who was on site between 3:00pm and 7:00pm, reported that hundreds of people continued swimming despite the visible pollution. He criticised the authorities for failing to close the beach to protect bathers and shared aerial images showing the large patch in the water and the suspected source of the spill, which appeared to be linked to a rupture at a nearby construction site.
According to Ravina, water was gushing from a manhole cover, although he stressed that the exact origin of the spill had not been officially confirmed.
In response, the Adeje Town Hall stated that its technical team was aware of the incident and assured the public that the water was not contaminated, downplaying the gravity of the situation. However, they clarified that the detailed management of the spill and any further information falls under the jurisdiction of the Tenerife Island Water Council, which is part of the Cabildo de Tenerife.
The Cabildo has since conformed that the spill was due to technical work for the construction of a saltwater collection well, intended for the future Adeje-Arona desalination plant. A statement says that, during the drilling technical teams "reached a saltwater water table," which "caused the temporary release of saltwater into the water surface," an incident that "has now been corrected." They emphasize that "it is exclusively seawater without any contaminating components" and clarify that "this is not a spill or leak of wastewater. "
Ravina pointed out that complaints about pollution in southern Tenerife are frequent, with many locals reporting infections after swimming, allegedly caused by contact with faecal bacteria. He also noted that authorities often fail to close beaches even when contamination is evident, fuelling frustration among the local community.
