A beach in Sveti Vlas, (Southeastern Bulgaria, Nessebar municiplaity) is being temporarily closed due to partial pollution of the seawater. The cause is problems at a local wastewater treatment plant. How serious is the pollution and what measures are being taken?
Pollution has been detected at the resort’s eastern beach. The first sample showed levels of Escherichia coli bacteria twice as high as the permitted limit. The second sample recorded levels four times above the permitted amount. At present, the only measure taken has been the raising of a red flag by lifeguards, warning people not to enter the water. Despite this, many tourists continue to swim.
Lifeguards say they cannot forcibly remove people from the sea and can only warn them of the danger. It is important to recall that over the weekend, a pipe at a neighbouring beach also discharged sewage. At the time, the problem was linked to the pumping station that carries wastewater to the treatment plant in Elenite. The same pumping station has been identified as the cause of the current seawater pollution.
Dr Georgi Pazderov, director of the Burgas Regional Health Inspectorate: “The beach can be used; the order is that the bathing waters must not be used. This is because they pose a risk to human health. The first sample from the Eastern Beach was taken on the 5th. Two days later, after 48 hours, the results came back – poor, meaning that Escherichia coli and enterococci were above the permitted levels. This Monday, two days later, a repeat sample was taken, and after 48 hours the results came back, also confirming that they were outside the prescribed limits.”
Diko Dikov, Burgas Regional Governor: “This is an inherited problem and is part of the problem at the Elenite holiday resort. It is a private wastewater treatment plant whose ownership still has not been established with 100% certainty. The capacity of this treatment plant does not correspond to the number of tourists staying in the area.”
Some tourists at the beach left after learning that the water was polluted. Others, however, said they would pretend they had not heard the warnings because they did not want their holiday to be ruined.
The Regional Health Inspectorate says the beach will remain closed until two consecutive samples show that the water is of normal quality. However, no significant measures have yet been taken to prevent tourists from entering the sea.
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