The public has been asked to note that the quality of the bathing waters at Western Beach could deteriorate at any time and without warning. This is due to the discharges from the storm drain constructed by the Spanish authorities in La Linea, Spain. Discharges and the contamination they cause are often erratic and can be heavily influenced by the quantity and duration of any rainfall.

Though the official bathing season has ended, the quality of the bathing waters at Western Beach will continue to be monitored three times a week and the results displayed on the Environmental Agency website:-

http://www.environmental-agency.gi/beachresult.php?beachind=6

All samples taken by the Environmental Agency are analysed by the Public Analyst at St Bernard’s Hospital.

The public are also asked to note that the water quality cannot be guaranteed, that these results are published for guidance purposes only, and that the monitoring means that the results shown on the website could be up to 2 days old.

If the latest monitoring results show elevated levels, users of Western Beach are advised not to swim or paddle and to restrict their activities to areas of dry sand away from the seashore.

The public needs to be particularly vigilant following any period of rainfall, as this can cause quality of the bathing waters at Western Beach to deteriorate rapidly. Beach users should not swim or paddle until such time as they have checked the website and verified that the results of the bathing water quality monitoring taken after the rainfall in question show that the bathing water quality is or has returned to acceptable levels.