The week before last, Pollensa town hall published the specifications for the tender to conduct a study of water and ecosystems in Pollensa Bay and to present an expert report. The tender is a formality, as there has been a procedure that doesn’t require the tender to be put out to bidders. The town hall has already invited the IMEDEA Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies to carry out the study. It will be paid 59,500 euros.
The wording of the tender states: “In recent years, what appears to be a decrease in the quality of bathing water at beaches of the municipality in Pollensa Bay has been detected. This could be due to wastewater spills (once treated) or other undetermined factors that require a detailed study in order to draw conclusions as to the reasons for this deterioration.” IMEDEA will present a report on water quality and sources of pollution. It will also make proposals for improving water and ecosystems.
So, we’ll see what comes of this. There is clearly an urgent need to address sources of contamination, and this report from IMEDEA is due to form the basis of application for European funds in order to correct faults.
Although the current administration of Tomeu Cifre has at times seemed to downplay the issues in Puerto Pollensa, this - in my view - has been part of the fighting with the opposition, especially Junts, who came up with the proposal for a comprehensive review and put the administration’s noses out of joint as a result. No one denies there is a problem, and that includes the mayor.