The Santana City Council began preparation work for another bathing season, in the Faial and São Jorge complexes. Both places were subject to removal of silt to be suitable for bathers this summer.
In São Jorge, the local authority restored the small bar next to the lake, which will later be leased through a public auction.
In the Faial bathing complex, the City Council applied again, and for the 17th consecutive year, to the Blue Flag award. He also claims to have assumed the expenses with the contracting of a lifting platform to support the thinning of palm trees, which will signal the entire complex “taking into account the recommendations, within the scope of covid-19”, and that he is contracting the services of lifeguards.
The total investment of the municipality in this phase of preparation for the bathing season will amount to more than 20 thousand euros, an amount that, in the opinion of the councilor responsible for equipment, Gabriel Faria, is “very important in the economic dynamism in the summer season, still for more, being Foz da Ribeira do Faial, Blue Flag, Accessible Beach and Gold Quality”.
The municipality also stresses that locals and visitors will have “free access to a pleasant and safe space” and that “excellent bathing water, good accessibility, with surveillance, and in compliance with the new rules”.
In this context, Gabriel Faria does not hesitate to make a correction to the urgent need in relation to the quality of the waters of Calhau de São Jorge.
In the mayor’s opinion, the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and the ARM should consider investing in a wastewater treatment plant that, upstream, will solve a problem that has been going on for many years.
“It is a pity that we have the only freshwater lagoon on the Madeira coastline, located in a place with fantastic natural beauty, where the City Council invests in cleaning the lagoon and then, from time to time, we are obliged to put up a ‘water warning it is unsuitable for bathing’ “.