Tamarindo Loses Blue Flag Over Water Quality

By Rachel Cavanaugh - The Beach Times

Re-testing Of Sewage Outlets To Begin December 3
Playa Tamarindo, one of Guanacaste’s key tourist destinations, has been stripped of the coveted Bandera Azul Ecológica, or Blue Flag ecological award, because of pollution at its beaches.

The Asociación Pro Mejores de Playa Tamarindo received a letter on November 14 from the Blue Flag program, advising them Tamarindo’s status had been revoked because of water contamination.

“Due to the accelerated development and minimal planning the Tamarindo community has had, which has provoked environmental deterioration and contamination of streams and rivers, negatively impacting the quality of ocean water and affecting public health…it is respectfully requested the Bandera Azul Ecológica be withdrawn,” the letter reads.

Dr Darner Mora, Executive Director of the Bandera Azul Ecológica program, told The Beach Times this week it was an issue of public health.

“This decision isn’t easy,” he said. “But…if these things are not said, we deceive ourselves and no one is going to take corrective action. If something isn’t done, the beach could be contaminated to the point of suffering irreversible damage.”