Positive Legionella tests were recorded at three public facilities in Mijas within three days: the Local Police headquarters, the Fire Station and IES Villa de Mijas secondary school.
Tests carried out on 19 October at the two municipal facilities, both on Camino Viejo de Coín in Las Lagunas, found positive results. The results were not made public until this week, when the health department took measures to address the issue.
At the local police headquarters, positive readings were recorded at four locations: the water tank for human consumption (200 Colony-Forming Units per litre of water), two showers in the men’s changing room (4,000 and 8,000 CFU/L) and one shower in the women’s changing room (over 10,000 CFU/L). Royal Decree 487/2022 sets a reference level of 100 CFU/L for certain showers; the shower readings exceed that threshold by more than 100 times. The hot water temperature in the showers at the municipal officers’ premises was below 50 degrees Celsius, the minimum set for hot water consumption points to prevent the bacteria from multiplying.
At the fire station, a positive result of 6,000 CFU/L was found in the men’s changing rooms.
Two days later, on 21 October, a positive result was recorded at IES Villa de Mijas in the town centre. Sources from the Regional Education Office told SUR that a routine inspection by the cleaning contractor found a positive result on one tap in a school toilet. The following day, the toilets were closed, portable toilets were installed and the school stocked bottled mineral water.
The PSOE in Mijas brought the cases to light at the town hall and attributed them to an “alarming lack of maintenance” in municipally-owned buildings, criticising the governing team for “systematically covering them up”. “Our firefighters and police officers do not deserve to work in these conditions, which put their health at serious risk,” said Josele González, leader of the Mijas Socialists, who singled out the Vox councillors responsible for the Local Police (Juan Carlos Cuevas) and the Fire Service (Francisco Jerez), as well as the People’s Party councillor Ana Mata. He said he would request test records for the past year to check for previous cases.
Health Councillor Marco Cortés said: “The PSOE is alarming police officers, firefighters and their families over something that Public Health describes as a common finding that is resolved by following standard procedure.” He added: “Legionella has been detected precisely because checks are carried out. Poor management would be not to carry out sampling and only find out about it through a case in a hospital. Here, the opposite has happened.”
The town council said that the positive results were detected during monthly tests, that corrective measures (including closure of the showers and subsequent cleaning) were taken and that all facilities are now back in operation.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Legionella can cause Legionnaires' disease, a potentially severe respiratory infection, and outbreaks at public facilities put employees and schoolchildren at risk.
- The incident raises questions about maintenance standards in municipal buildings and the adequacy of routine checks.
- The political dispute between the PSOE and the governing coalition over how the cases were handled may affect public trust in local authorities.
Background
Legionella bacteria occur naturally in water and can multiply in warm, poorly maintained water systems. Inhalation of contaminated water droplets can cause legionellosis, which can be fatal in vulnerable people. Spanish health regulations set reference levels for acceptable bacterial concentrations and temperature requirements to prevent growth.
Key Perspectives
PSOE in Mijas (Josele González): claims an “alarming lack of maintenance” in municipally-owned buildings and that the governing team has been “systematically covering them up”.
Health Councillor Marco Cortés: says Legionella was detected precisely because checks are carried out and that it is a common finding resolved by standard procedures.
What to Watch
- Whether PSOE’s request for past year’s test records reveals earlier Legionella cases.
- Any further positive tests or illness linked to the contaminated facilities.
- Potential changes to maintenance or testing protocols at Mijas municipal buildings.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedLegionella was detected at the Local Police headquarters, Fire Station and IES Villa de Mijas.Sur in English: “The Local Police headquarters, the Fire Station and ... the IES Villa de Mijas secondary school have all recorded positive test results for contamination by this bacterium”
- SupportedThe three public facilities recorded positive results within three days.Sur in English: “Three cases of Legionella in public facilities in Mijas in the space of just a few days.”
- SupportedThe town council says corrective measures were taken and all facilities are back in operation.Sur in English: “The town council emphasises that these positive results were detected as part of the monthly tests carried out at the facilities, that the relevant corrective measures were taken (including the closure of the showers and subsequent cleaning) and that all facilities are now back in operation.”
- SupportedTests at the two municipal facilities were carried out on 19 October, but the results were not made public until this week.Sur in English: “At the two municipal facilities, both situated on the same road, Camino Viejo de Coín, in Las Lagunas, tests were carried out on 19 October, but the results were not made public until this week”
- SupportedPolice headquarters tests found 200 CFU/L in the water tank, 4,000 and 8,000 CFU/L in two men’s showers, and over 10,000 CFU/L in a women’s shower.Sur in English: “the water tank intended for human consumption, with a concentration of 200 Colony-Forming Units per litre of water (CFU/L); in two showers in the men’s changing room, with concentrations of 4,000 and 8,000 CFU/L; and in one shower in the women’s changing room, with a concentration of over 10,000 CFU/L”
- SupportedThe fire station had a positive result of 6,000 CFU/L in the men’s changing rooms.Sur in English: “In the case of the fire station, the positive result was recorded in the men’s changing rooms, where the concentration was 6,000 CFU/L”
- SupportedA routine inspection by the school’s cleaning contractor found a positive result on one tap in a toilet on 21 October, according to Regional Education Office sources.Sur in English: “Just two days later, on 21 October, a positive result was recorded at the secondary school, in the town centre. ... It was during a routine inspection carried out by the cleaning contractor that a positive result was found on one of the taps in one of the school’s toilets.”
- SupportedThe following day, the school toilets were closed, portable toilets installed and bottled mineral water stocked.Sur in English: “The following day, the toilets were closed off; portable toilets were installed to address the shortfall, and the school stocked up on bottled mineral water to meet the pupils’ needs.”
- SupportedThe PSOE attributed the cases to an “alarming lack of maintenance” and criticised the governing team for “systematically covering them up”.Sur in English: “The PSOE in Mijas, which has brought these cases to light at the town hall, has attributed the positive cases to an “alarming lack of maintenance” in municipally-owned buildings and has criticised the governing team for “systematically covering them up”.”
- SupportedJosele González said: “Our firefighters and police officers do not deserve to work in these conditions, which put their health at serious risk.”Sur in English: ““Our firefighters and police officers do not deserve to work in these conditions, which put their health at serious risk,” said the leader of the Mijas Socialists, Josele González”
- SupportedMarco Cortés said: “The PSOE is alarming police officers, firefighters and their families over something that Public Health describes as a common finding that is resolved by following standard procedure.”Sur in English: ““The PSOE is alarming police officers, firefighters and their families over something that Public Health describes as a common finding that is resolved by following standard procedure.””
- SupportedMarco Cortés said Legionella was detected because checks were carried out, and that poor management would mean not sampling and only discovering it through a hospital case.Sur in English: ““Legionella has been detected precisely because checks are carried out. Poor management would be not to carry out sampling and only find out about it through a case in a hospital. Here, the opposite has happened,” added the councillor.”
