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Water quality at Playa Guiones for surfers, the Banda Azul and all our wet season rain

By Alex espir

Playa Guiones

For the 6th year running, Playa Guiones has received its Blue Flag award, certifying the beach and surrounded area ecologically sound with clean safe waters. Which means for us surfers and water users alike, we have healthy waters that don't pose a risk to our health plus an ecologically sound surrounding area. But is this true always under rainstorms floods and storms? The reality there is potential for significant daily changes in water quality following rainstorms thus to the health risk to us ocean users. The blue flag award does not always mean that everyday ocean waters are clean and safe to use.

The Blue Flag Ecological Program was created in response to the imminent dangers of beach pollution, its repercussions on public health and the tourism industry. It has reached its twelfth year of operations, with a marked increase that began in 2002. Banda Azul is coordinated by multi institutional organizations with the Costa Rica Tourism Institute, National Water and Sewer Service, Public Health Ministry and the Environment Ministry (MINAE). The blue flag award is modeled on the Blue Flag program developed in Europe to identify the world's best beaches based upon ecological quality and visitor conveniences, Costa Rica has created its own Blue Flag program with strict objective rating standards involving water and beach qualities of cleanliness Only those beaches obtaining a water and beach quality score of 90 or more (out of 100) are certified as Blue Flag. It requires every community seeking such status to apply anew each year. In other words, it involves the communities, from their businesses to their schools to their local governments. There is an economic incentive to attain Blue Flag status, community pride at stake, and an increasing awareness of how sensitive the oceans are.

However, whether it’s the effects of the passing El Nino or of climate change, we have experienced an unusually high amount of rainfall and storm activity throughout Central America over the past few months. After these rainfall events, whether it’s a coastal storm or rainfall comes from the mountains, all the following runoff and flooding reaches the coastline. Within 72 hours of a rainfall event and or flood, when rivers swell, this is when the pollution risk is greatest. Sewage systems are the most common source or pollution, especially during easily overfilled or put under excessive strain and not always designed to deal with large storm events (no overflow system). It is at this time we need to be aware of that the health risks are much greater. The blue flag system does not account for these fluctuations as water testing is only conducted a few times a month and does create an accurate picture of daily water quality. During the dry season, lower sunlight and minimized run off mean that water quality is likely very high. However during the following rainy season lower sunlight hours and consistent flooding and runoff pose a much higher risk to hum health in ocean waters. It is likely that you will in someway become ill after these rainfall, whether its a slight stomach problems (gastro borne bacteria) or potentially worse is hard to determine. It is also hard to manage and control. All we can make sure off is that there we are being provided with modern sewage systems capable of dealing with overloading and also that we are aware that we there is a daily risk.

More Regional News

Sámara’s Sub-Par Police Station To Be Relocated… But Where To?

Sámara’s Chamber of Tourism (CASATUR) and Integral Development Association have joined forces and put in to motion the first plans to change the location of the Sámara Police Station. It seems that the necessity of relocating the station is clear, but the new location is not. More >

Nosara Beach Water Board Election Sets Course for Future

Rick Walker was re-elected President of the Water Board (ASADA) of the beach areas of Nosara, following a decision by potential challenger Olivier von der Weid to seek the office of Secretary instead. More >

Insufficient Healthcare Services Jeopardize Nosareños

The current state of affairs regarding public healthcare in Nosara and surrounding areas seems to have people on all ends of the spectrum disconcerted. The only government funded medical attention center, the EBAIS clinic in Nosara, is currently faced with double its attending capacity, leaving some 20-30 patients without receiving medical attention everyday. Private practitioners provide healthcare services to those who can afford it, but the absence of a local pharmacy has put them and their patients in a serious predicament regarding access to necessary medication.
More >

Nosara Residents Worried About New Wave of Robberies and Few Police Personnel

• Nosara Police Delegation Has Only 3 Officers Each Shift
• National Police Cheif Erick Lacayo immedietly responded to a letter sent by the Local Security Association

With burglaries and thefts on the increase in Nosara, and a severely short-staffed police delegation in the village center, Costa Rica’s top police official, Comisario Eric Lacayo, responded to local concerns. More >

Migration Officers Arrest Illegal Foreigners in Sámara and Nosara

On May 1st, Judicial Investigation Agency of Nicoya agents, along with the Migration Police from Liberia, went to the beaches of Sámara and Nosara in order to do a sweep for drugs and people residing illegally in the area. According to the OIJ, this type of operation seeks to counteract the wave of delinquency that has been reigning in the coastal zone of Nicoya. More >

Strong Rains Leave 148 Families on the Street

Since 2 a.m. on Tuesday, May 25th, the Nosara Red Cross has been working in order to evaluate the area. By the end of the day, and by this issue’s press time, 148 families had been evacuated. More >

Damaged Footbridge Worries Sámara Pedestrians

The footbridge adjacent to the main bridge connecting downtown Sámara to the Cangrejal and Cantarrana neighborhoods over the Lagarto River is currently in such poor condition that it has been rendered unusable, forcing Sámara pedestrians to put themselves in harm’s way by sharing the bridge with motor vehicles. More >

Nicoya’s Former Mayor Admits to Offense and Returns Money to the Municipalidad

Former mayor Hilario Cuevillas León, as well as attorney, Valerio Vargas Yong, admitted to wrongdoing when stealing ¢3.8 million colones from Nicoya’s Municipalidad and therefore, seven years later and before a judge, they accepted their crime and returned ¢4.230.000 to the Municipalidad of Nicoya. This came about as a result of the lawsuit that was filed against them for embezzlement (the unlawful appropriation of public funds by people in charge of the public administration). More >

Nosareños Will Spend the Winter Without a Retaining Dam

Each year the Nosareños are affected by the floods caused by the growth of the Nosara River and, since there won’t be a retaining wall, or dam, that will prevent the water from reaching many homes in the community, this year won’t be the exception. More >