Bathing discouraged on Malaga beach after floods cause sewage pipes to rupture

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Water tests are being carried out to determine if the beach needs to be closed

SUR

Malaga

Wednesday, 31 December 2025, 10:01

Malaga city council has recommended not bathing at the Guadalmar beach as a precautionary measure after two sewage pipes ruptured due to the flooding of the Guadalhorce river.

Last weekend's heavy rains, during which a red extreme weather alert was issued by Aemet, has eroded one of the supports of the load-bearing structure for the sewer pipelines that cross the watercourse via this structure, near the footbridge of the coastal path. This has caused the collapse into the river of a section of the structure and pipes measuring approximately 50 metres, according to a statement from the council.

After learning of this incident, which has caused the sewage pipes that collect wastewater from the districts of Churriana and Torremolinos to discharge directly into the river, municipal water company Emasa proceeded to shut down the Guadalmar pumping station in order to stop the discharge and minimise the environmental impact as much as possible.

Possible closure of the beach

Emasa technicians are assessing the damage and are working to resolve the incident as soon as possible, as well as carrying out water analyses to determine whether the beach needs to be closed, a decision which is the responsibility of the Junta de Andalucía regional government.

Specifically, the solution Emasa is working on is to prioritise the construction of a section of the works for the recycled water network to irrigate facilities in the western area of the city and in Torremolinos, so that this section is reversible and can be used on a provisional basis in the opposite direction to that originally planned.