The Puerto de la Cruz town council kept Playa Jardín open for bathing during San Juan festivities despite contamination results detected on June 22.
Samples taken in the El Charcón area revealed the presence of E. coli. The council initially claimed it had received no official notice from Public Health, though it later acknowledged an email sent on June 23 and accessed the following day.
The Canary Islands Government Public Health department stated that it communicated the results by phone and email, recommending a temporary bathing ban. The Ministry of Health Náyade system also recorded the warning and the recommendation to close the beach.
Mayor Leopoldo Afonso appeared on July 24 with a certificate denying the receipt of official communications on June 22 and 23. The PSOE and the Stop Vertidos al Mar platform denounced a lack of transparency and demanded accountability.
The episode coincided with San Juan night, which drew around 5,000 people to one of the municipality's beaches. The council carried out its own tests that showed excellent water quality.
