Six Costa Rican
Beaches Contaminated, Lab Test Results
Indicate
Before stepping foot in the water, best to
be sure that the beach or river is not on
the AyA list of the contaminated, following
the findings by the water and sewer utility
high contaminations of fecal matter in at
least six beaches in Costa Rica.
Testing by the Laboratorio Nacional de Aguas
de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) shows
that the beaches of Los Baños, Portete and
Cieneguita, in the province of Limón; the
Tárcoles, Giacalillo and Quepos beaches in
the province of Puntarenas, have a high
level of contamination of fecal coliforms.
The AyA lab results indicate that the
beaches are not fit for swimming.
In the meantime, the beaches Jacó and
Tamarindo passed the lab test after three
years of water pollution problems.
The AyA warns that although the beaches at
Jacó and Tamarindo passed the tests, the
nearby rivers and creeks continue to be
contaminated, as hotels and homes flush
their sewage without any type of treatment.
The accepted level is 240 coliforms per
100.000 millitres of water.
However the Portete beach shows a
concentration of 10.000 coliforms per
100.000 litres of water, while Los Baños
tested at 7.500 per 100.000. The Cieneguita
beach test at 700, while the Tárcoles 850,
Gucalillo 500 and Quepos 400.
One of the problems faced by these
communities is the lack of local
organizations to work in correcting the
problems.
The AyA tests the water quality of the
beaches around the country as part of their
"Bandera Azul Ecológica" program.
For more information on the "Blue Flag"
program and the conditions of the beaches,
go to:
http://www.guiascostarica.com/bazul/
http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/paginas/mapas/areasurf.asp
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