Cala Reona reopens after water tests confirm it is safe for swimming

The precautionary closure has been lifted after laboratory tests found no bacteria in the water following the latest incident at the Mar Menor wastewater treatment plant

Cala Reona has reopened to swimmers after water quality tests confirmed the beach is safe for bathing.
The beach was closed as a precaution on Sunday, July 5, after a fault at the Mar Menor wastewater treatment plant caused the water to become murky. Laboratory tests have now confirmed there was no bacterial contamination, and Cartagena City Council has lifted the swimming ban.

According to the council, the water 'maintained optimal sanitary quality' throughout the incident, with the closure remaining in place only until the test results could confirm there was no risk to bathers.

Veolia, which operates the Mar Menor Sur wastewater treatment plant, said the murky water was caused by a problem affecting part of the plant's secondary treatment process. The fault was detected and repaired the same day, allowing the plant to return to normal operation.

The latest incident was the second temporary closure of Cala Reona in just a few days, after the beach had only recently reopened following an earlier problem at the same treatment plant. Veolia has previously said the two incidents were unrelated.

The treatment plant serves both Cartagena and San Javier and is already due to undergo major improvements later this year. Investment planned by ESAMUR and the Ministry for Ecological Transition is expected to modernise ageing parts of the facility and reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future.

With the latest laboratory results confirming there is no health risk, Cala Reona is once again open for swimming.

Image: Cartagena City Hall