Heat wave and Ebro River: the temptation of a bathroom … allowed in Zaragoza?

“The Ebro is dirty and is dangerous. You can’t bathe here.” The phrase has been repeated for decades on the banks of the most caudalous river in Spain, especially in Saragossa. While other capitals have turned their banks into leisure spotlights, the capital lived on their backs to its river for many years to the International Exhibition of 2008, when it integrated it as a landscape and sports space. Even so, the image of bathers is still unusual.

THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK: Implicit permission

The bathroom in the Ebro is allowed, the Aguas Law and the Regulation of the Public Hydraulic Domain consider it a common use, valid for rivers, pools, lakes and reservoirs. It is only prohibited in sections marked by municipalities or by the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation (Che), either for risks to safety or health problems. In the absence of surveillance, the responsibility falls on the swimmer himself.

Specialists warn that security is not always guaranteed. The Che recommends limiting the bathroom to authorized areas and subject to periodic water quality controls. After storms, the risk increases due to the drag of urban spills and wastewater. It is also advisable to swim when the water is cloudy, since the concentration of bacteria is usually greater. Transparency, they remember, is one of the best health indicators.

Each season, a list of river beaches and sections suitable for the bathroom are published. In these areas periodic analyzes are carried out that guarantee a minimum of health security. Bathing outside can involve digestive problems, skin irritations or other conditions.

Bathrooms in Aragon: prohibited places and advice to avoid hazards

Bathtians against heat

From time to time, and despite the prudence recommendations, you can see bathers in the Helios area swimming in the Ebro. It is what has happened today, coinciding with an intense heat wave that continues to press in Aragon and has no intention of loosening in the next few days. Extreme temperatures continue to mark the rhythm of August and the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) He has decided to prolong the notice of high temperatures, until next Wednesday, August 13. As of that date, “the uncertainty of the prediction is great,” the Aemet reports. However, the organism also points out that the thermometer could descend.