Cala Reona closed for second time in three days after problems at Mar Menor wastewater plant

The precautionary closure comes little more than a day after the beach reopened, with water samples now being analysed following a fault at the Mar Menor wastewater treatment plant

Cala Reona has been closed to swimmers once again after a new incident at the Mar Menor wastewater treatment plant caused the water to become murky.

The precautionary closure comes little more than 24 hours after the beach was reopened following a separate incident earlier in the week.

According to Veolia, the company that operates the plant, the latest problem happened on Sunday July 5 and affected part of the treatment process for around two hours. The company has stressed that this incident is not connected to the one reported on Friday July 3.

Veolia says the fault was identified and resolved quickly, with normal operations restored shortly afterwards. Water samples have since been taken and are now being analysed to make sure water quality meets the standards required for bathing areas.

The company said the issue that caused the water quality issues has already been fixed, but Cala Reona will remain closed until the test results are available. Once the results confirm that water quality levels are safe, the relevant authorities will decide when the beach can reopen.

The treatment plant serves both Cartagena and San Javier and handles wastewater from a large part of the southern Mar Menor area.

Officials have already acknowledged that parts of the facility are ageing and in need of improvement. Investment is expected to begin in September, with both ESAMUR and the Ministry for Ecological Transition planning upgrades to improve the plant's performance and help prevent similar incidents in the future.

For now, swimmers will have to wait for the outcome of the latest water quality tests before Cala Reona can reopen.

Image: Cartagena Town Hall