By The Star Staff
Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Anaís Rodríguez Vega said Wednesday it may be by Friday that she will have a clear picture of which areas of the Condado Lagoon are suitable for swimmers.
On March 22, the DNER and the San Juan Bay Estuary notified the public to avoid direct contact with the lagoon and beaches of Condado and San Juan, to avoid fishing in Caño Martin Peña and the Bay of San Juan since wastewater discharges had impacted the waters.
Residents who took videos of the wastewater discharges first reported the incident on social media.
In an interview with Foro Noticioso, Rodríguez Vega indicated that all the beaches are suitable for bathers, except for those in the area of Jaime Benítez Park.
“We received the results of the last sampling that we did, and both us, the Department of Natural Resources and the Bay Estuary, and certain there are … the nearby beaches are suitable for bathers, but that does not mean that each one of us must not be aware of the weather conditions and the swells,” the DNER secretary said.
She added that she hopes that by the weekend, she will have more accurate information about Jaime Benítez Park. To that end, officials will perform water quality tests today.
“This is the plan,” Rodríguez Vega said. “We are waiting for today’s rains; we have to wait 24 hours and see if they are enough to verify the status of the water quality of that area.”
Meanwhile, the Estuary reported on its social networks Tuesday that the most recent monitoring carried out in the area of the Condado Lagoon concluded that the El Escambrón spa, the Playita del Condado, and the Parque Sixto Escobar beach in San Juan were suitable for bathers.