Compiled with the help of artificial intelligence, based on Spanish-language information. Source below the article.
Tenerife sewage plant spill triggers sabotage investigation
The Punta Brava district sewage treatment plant in Puerto de la Cruz, in the north of Tenerife, suffered a spill of around 1,000 litres of a product made up of 75% water and 25% ferric chloride on Saturday night, although the discharge remained contained within the plant itself, the Tenerife Cabildo has told EFE.
Hose rupture after morning repairs
The spill was caused by a rupture of roughly one centimetre in a hose that had been repaired during maintenance work carried out that morning, according to information provided by the Cabildo. The island authority states that, according to information supplied by Aqualia, the company managing the facility, the hose had been left in perfect condition after the repair, and that a possible act of sabotage is being investigated as the cause of the rupture.
According to the same source, the plant’s security cameras captured a person not connected to the facility inside the site, heading precisely towards the area where the rupture later occurred.
Plant sits close to Playa Jardín
This treatment plant is located very close to Playa Jardín, an area recurrently affected by sewage discharges. In fact, the beach remained closed for a year, and has since suffered other temporary closures, the most recent of them this very September. Recently, Cabildo technicians have told the authority that carrying out repairs on the collector responsible for the discharges is not enough, and they recommend building a new facility.
Official investigation opened
The Cabildo has indicated that the Tenerife Island Water Council (CIAT) has opened an investigation into Saturday’s spill, naming AQUALIA as the company responsible for the operation and maintenance of the plant, covering both treatment and regeneration, all in accordance with article 17 of the Regulations on Sanctions in Water Matters, in order to determine the origin of the spill, the amount of product released, the circumstances of the incident and its possible destination.
In particular, it must be confirmed whether the product reached the rainwater drainage network and, potentially, the sea. At this moment there are conflicting accounts on the matter, so the CIAT will not anticipate conclusions until the results of inspections, samples and investigations by the competent bodies are available.
Cabildo demands maximum transparency
The island authority considers any incident that could compromise the safety of a Balten facility of these characteristics, or have consequences for the environment, to be especially serious, and is calling for the exact circumstances in which the incident occurred to be established as soon as possible. It also wishes to convey a message of maximum transparency, rigour and firmness.
The Local Police in Puerto de la Cruz has inspected the facilities. It has also been confirmed that officers from the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) of the Civil Guard have attended the site to investigate what happened. The Tenerife Island Water Council, for its part, has required the company responsible for operating the plant – Aqualia – to provide all information about the incident, the measures adopted and compliance with safety, maintenance and environmental protection protocols.
Sabotage among lines of investigation
Among the lines of investigation is the possibility that the rupture of the pipe was intentional. The managing company has raised the hypothesis of a possible act of sabotage, as reported by local media. The Cabildo is not ruling out any line of investigation and will not draw conclusions until all the facts are known. The case file will remain open until it is determined what happened, whether established protocols were followed and what responsibilities, if any, apply.
The company responsible – Aqualia – must guarantee the safe operation of the facility and strict compliance with all its obligations. If any breach is proven, the Cabildo will pursue all relevant responsibilities and the adoption of whatever corrective and preventive measures are necessary.
The Tenerife Cabildo has stated that it will follow the procedure through to the end and cooperate with the competent authorities and the security forces to clarify the facts with the greatest possible speed and transparency.
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