Translation of the article from my Google Browser:
After two years with all the Ourense hot springs closed,
the City Council celebrated the reopening of two pools in the
Outariz area on February 25 . The municipal government will analyze whether the requirements established in the new regional law are met there in order to continue adapting the rest of the facilities to that regulation. This work is underway, but the Councilor for
Tourism and Thermalism,
Flora Moure , expressed her concern about the misuse that some people are making of the pools that were opened fifteen days ago.
The opposition groups took advantage of the fact that an
area meeting was held this Tuesday to ask the mayor about the plans for the reopening of the rest of the pools and that was when Moure reported the situation. "We are encountering problems because there are people who do not respect the noon closure," explains the councilor, who recalls that now the hot springs cannot be used freely and the established hours must be respected (
from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ).
The new
regional law on recreational use of thermal spaces , which came into force last year, establishes a strict control of the quality of the water and for this it is required that there be a surveillance service to
control capacity . The Council of Ourense has hired a company to carry out these tasks and it is common for the workers in charge of ensuring the proper use of the pools to find bathers in them when they return to work at four in the afternoon. "We are very concerned," says Flora Moure, who recalls that the regional law is very strict with regard to the hygienic conditions of the water and incorrect use could alter them.
In this sense, the Councilor for Thermalism explains that systematic analyzes are being carried out and advances that the Council of Ourense is working together with the
Xunta de Galicia on an
"experimental" project to determine exactly how and how often to analyze the quality of the water. Flora Moure explains that the regulatory development of the regional law is still pending and the City Council will work hand in hand with the Galician government for this. “They want us to see how we are adapting and it is necessary that, among all, we adjust it”, specifies the Councilor for Thermalism.
No dates for the other pools
Taking advantage of the celebration of the area meeting this Tuesday, the opposition groups asked for specific deadlines for the reopening of the rest of the pools. "At the moment, until the regulations can be met in all the facilities, they cannot be opened," summarizes Flora Moure. To reopen the missing hot springs in the
Outariz area, a well must be built to increase the available flow, since the law requires the continuous renewal of water.
According to him, the municipal government goes step by step with each installation. For example, Moure explains that in
A Chavasqueira a project is pending authorization by the
Miño-Sil Hydrographic Confederation that includes the adaptation of the public pools to the new legislation as well as the rehabilitation of the payment pools, which burned in the year 2019.
On the other hand, with regard to the
thermal pool of As Burgas , the reform planned by the Council of Ourense already has permission from Heritage. An investment of 576,500 euros is planned and it is an "ambitious project", in the words of Moure, who explains that various arrangements are planned in the glass as well as the renovation of the locker room area.
An award-winning end-of-degree project proposes some covered pools in MuĂño da Veiga
The
MuĂño da Veiga hot springs are very close to
the Miño River and, when it rises in volume, they frequently flood. To solve this problem,
RubĂ©n González MartĂnez designed a project that would channel the water from Burga do MuĂño to a nearby area but at a higher level to prevent flooding. He is a student at the Faculty of Sciences of Ourense and his idea was reflected in a final degree project that has recently been awarded in the
Campus Auga Scientific Research, Transfer and Dissemination Awards .
Rubén González (Ourense, 1996) explains that the project envisages three new pools that, in addition to being sheltered from the rising flow of the Miño, would have a cover to be able to use them more comfortably throughout the year, even with rain. According to his calculations, the complete construction of the baths (including the channeling of the water and the installation room to cool it) would cost 427,700.96 euros. González would like his proposal to reach the City Council in case it can be useful. "We are very lucky to have a resource like the thermal spring in Ourense and many times we don't value it enough ," says the young man, who explains that the campus "takes raptors from other cities and gets snuggled up with what we have."
I contacted the Tourism office in Ourense last month inquiring about their thermal baths and this is what I posted on the Thermal Baths thread:
