Some 97 commercial businesses in Playa Tamarindo have abided by the sanitary measures of the Ministerio de Salud (health ministry), which has led to a significant decrease in the contamination of the beach water.
The news was released by Juan Luis Sánchez, director regional del Área de Salud de Santa Cruz, who said that there remain only 15 businesses to comply and eight closed of the total 120 businesses found to be violating the health measures.
Playa Tamarindo lost its Bandera Azul (Blue Flag) designation in 2007 for contamination of the beaches with sewer water. The Bandera Azul is assigned by the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (Minae) - environment and energy ministry.
Darner Mora, director of the Laboratorio de Aguas de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) - laboratory of the water and sewer utility - confirmed that the water contamination levels of Tamarindo are much lower now than last year.
Mora said that the tests on the water were carried out three weeks ago and the results were good, adding that one testing is not enough for a final conclusion.
Mora added that his department has to now wait for the heavy season rains to carry out more tests to determine is the septic tanks are holding and not dumping sewage into the ocean.
