Unsuitable bathing stretches: why check the bulletin before going to the beach

Periodic surveys have already flagged stretches of the Paraíba coast as unsuitable for bathing in a given week, usually linked to proximity to rivers and canals.

Reports based on Sudema bulletins show that, in certain weeks, some stretches of the Paraíba coast — including points along the João Pessoa waterfront and neighboring municipalities such as Cabedelo and Conde — are classified as unsuitable for bathing. These cases tend to be concentrated near river mouths, urban drainage canals and effluent discharge areas, where the concentration of bacteria indicating fecal contamination can exceed the limit considered safe under environmental law.

On busier dates, such as long holiday weekends, the release of the list of unsuitable stretches gets highlighted in the local press, which usually publishes Sudema's most recent bulletin as a warning to swimmers and tourists. The sampling period and the release of results follow their own schedule, and the agency recommends that the information always be checked a few days in advance, since the situation at a given point can change from one week to the next.

For those visiting the Paraíba coast, the safest practice is to check the week's bathing water report before choosing a beach, give preference to stretches historically farther from river and canal mouths, and avoid entering the sea on days following heavy rain, when the chance of temporary coastal water contamination increases.

This precaution adds to the already well-known bathing safety recommendations for the Paraíba coast, such as respecting drowning-risk signage at open-sea beaches and checking tide conditions before venturing to points farther from the sand strip.