No bathing sign in Ta' Xbiex removed after 'remedial action' taken

A Ta’ Xbiex bathing spot was closed and reopened to swimmers within hours on Thursday after the Environmental Health Directorate put up, then removed, a warning sign over an unexplained contamination concern.

A spokesperson for the directorate could not explain the reason behind the closure when contacted by MaltaToday. “Something happened, it’s contaminated with something,” the spokesperson said. “We don’t know anything about it.”

At the time, the only available information was a warning sign that had been placed at the rocky beach below ix-Xatt ta’ Xbiex, facing Valletta, advising that bathing was not recommended due to “extraordinary circumstances”. 

However, when a MaltaToday photographer visited the site at around 2:30pm, the sign had disappeared and people were swimming in the sea.

A bather told MaltaToday that officials had removed the sign around half an hour earlier and told swimmers it was safe to enter the water.

Later on Thursday, the Environmental Health Directorate contacted MaltaToday and said the area had been closed after an overflow from the stormwater flood relief system entered the sea.

The directorate said the signs were removed after the necessary remedial action was taken.

It also noted that the bathing spot is located within a harbour zone, where swimming is generally not recommended.

Ta’ Xbiex Mayor Max Zammit told MaltaToday he had not been notified about the beach closure and knew nothing about it, saying he had only just found out through press reports.

The directorate had not initially issued a statement on the closure, contributing to confusion over why the area was first closed and then reopened hours later.

This comes just three days after the Environmental Health Directorate advised the public against bathing in a section of sea at Birżebbuġa after sewage contamination was detected in the water.

Ta’ Xbiex Local Council responds

The Ta’ Xbiex Local Council explained that the Department of Health Regulation received a report of an overflow of foul water into the beach on 4 June. 

It elaborated that, on 11 June, following three consecutive sampling tests, it was concluded that the bathing site is safe to use and the relevant authorities removed the sign.