Palma City Council leaps to defence of its beaches

Palma City Councl leapt to the defence of the municpality's beaches yesterday, saying that all of Palma's beaches are suitable for bathing. The outburst came in response to a report claiming that the water at 14 Balearic beaches was unsuitable for swimming. The city council said yesterday that, last June, the local authority ordered that weekly tests be carried out at all of the council's beaches until the end of September and that, according to the results, “on no occassion were any abonormalities recorded and that water quality levels were always up to the required standards.” A spokesperosn for the city council said that while analysing sea water is not the job of the city council, the specimens are tested at the municipal laboratory. It was also explained yesterday that when water samples are taken, the sand is also tested and that at no point last summer was the quality and condition of Palma's beaches called into question. The reaction from the Hotel Federation and the Association of Travel Agents to the leaked report, which the health authority says has been taken out of context, was far from encouraging and yesterday the Balearic Minister for Tourism, Celesti Alomar gave his assurance that the 14 black spot beaches will be in correct condition by the start of the summer season. Alomar said yesterday that since last year he has been in regular contact with the councils concerned about the various “deficiences” which were discovered.