Bugibba beach fit for swimming

The Health Department yesterday gave the all-clear for swimming at the new perched sandy beach in Bugibba, which had been closed since Monday due to a sewage leak.

Following tests over the past few days, the 'No Bathing' signs have been removed, the department said.

The Department of Information yesterday strongly denied that "the drainage system was buried under the sand to forget the problem," as Alternattiva Demokratika had claimed.

Mark Causon, the AD spokesman for the environment and rural affairs, should have checked the facts before jumping to conclusions and issuing incorrect information that could damage the tourism industry, the DOI said.

Mr Causon had claimed that a suspect drainage system handling illegally discharged waste from nearby hotels had been buried under the sand and that the beach may have to be ripped up to solve the problem.

It was discovered that the leak was due to the fact that the sewage pipe of two boathouses led directly into the sea, the DOI explained yesterday.

A temporary remedy has been devised since the contractor of the perched beach project is on shutdown. The pipe has been cut and connected to a channel that had been dug up specifically to direct the sewage to a cesspit built to take drainage from the beach's public convenience.

The DOI said the channel has been covered with bricks to avoid any inconvenience and the cesspit is being emptied in the morning and the evening to avoid any overflow into the sea.