The beach and river of Vila Praia de Âncora, in the Municipality of Caminha, have been facing recurrent episodes of microbiological contamination. The most recent situation led the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) to issue an alert and advise against swimming in the area.
The topic was discussed at the ordinary meeting of the Caminha Town Council held on September 2nd, where opposition councilor Liliana Ribeiro questioned the executive about the causes of constant bacterial contamination and what measures were being taken to prevent the recurrence of these conditions.
The mayor of Caminha, Liliana Silva, stated that these contaminations are no longer a surprise, pointing to torrential rains as one of the possible causes, although she admitted that there is still no definitive answer. Other hypotheses under consideration include the presence of ducks in the river estuary and the rainwater drainage network in the area of Parque Dr. Ramos Pereira.
At the end of the meeting, Liliana Silva sought to separate the water quality issue from the tourism image of Vila Praia de Âncora, noting that the beaches in the Municipality of Caminha are in good condition and are recommended for swimming.
