“I ordered the red flags to be lowered, after receiving indications from the Portuguese Environment Agency that the results of the water analysis are favourable,” the commander of the Faro port authority told Lusa.

Mário Figueiredo specified that “the results are negative for the presence of microorganisms that prevent bathing.”

The red flags had been hoisted on Wednesday morning on the beaches of Quarteira and Vilamoura, in the municipality of Loulé, due to possible contamination with waste water in the Vilamoura Marina, the commander of the Faro Port Authority had revealed.

Mário Figueiredo added at the time that the decision was taken after receiving a communication from the Portuguese Environment Agency stating that the Quarteira Pumping Station had discharged waste water into the marina.

“We are facing potential contamination of the water [for bathing], which is why we have hoisted the red flags,” he said at the time.