An earlier alert issued around midday yesterday warned residents about pollution in the Saíñas River near Rodeira Beach in Pontevedra. A cloudy plume extended toward the shoreline, and waste including fecal matter appeared to wash into the sea, prompting authorities to lower a blue and green flag and raise a yellow flag as a precaution. Beachgoers were advised to stay informed and report any concerns to the nearest lifeguard station. The incident originated from a pumping well located between Castroviejo and Rodeira streets, where the river runs nearby. City officials stated that the concessionaire responsible for the service acted immediately and that the malfunction was resolved in roughly thirty minutes. While this marked the latest incident in an ongoing program, by eight in the evening the channel remained turbid, and several small fish were observed dead in the water.
In the second phase of the episode, pollution reappeared in Rodeira during August when a pump well on Avenida de Ourense discharged into the Bouzós River. This caused the yellow flag to be hoisted and subsequently a red flag to prohibit bathing. This precautionary banner will stay in place until waters in Saíñas calm and tides help clear the debris that has accumulated along the shore. Municipal officials Pilar Nogueira and Iria Malvido of the PSOE party announced that the area would be cleaned promptly using staff and machinery from the council or an external enterprise. The aim is to restore the riverbed and the beach shoreline to a safe condition as soon as possible.
Several vehicles were deployed in the afternoon as workers from the concessionaire addressed a clogged pumping well filled with waste materials. Municipal sources noted that the materials discharged into the plumbing network were a key factor in the blockage and that the issue was resolved quickly. Technicians from the Augas de Galicia environmental agency arrived to inspect the water and to perform dye tests to confirm that the discharge was not contaminating the river system. Local police, civil protection personnel, and lifeguards on duty in Rodeira monitored the situation and answered bathers questions about whether it was safe to swim. The yellow flag signaled caution but did not ban bathing, while the red flag was deemed unnecessary at that time.
Among beachgoers using the app, some residents near the river mouth simply chose to enjoy the sand away from the water and cautioned children not to enter the sea. Across the rest of the beach, the scene resembled many August weekends with thousands of visitors enjoying the sun and cooling sea breeze as heat persisted in the region.
Councilor Iria Malvido noted that pumping wells may be failing due to summer saturation but emphasized that the council was ready to mobilize the necessary tools and that UTE crews responded quickly to fix the problem. She added that the river will need some time to clear its waters and return to normal conditions. Throughout the day, officials remained confident that the yellow flag could be reintroduced and that the blue and green flags would be raised again once the water quality stabilized, restoring public confidence in the area.