Palma also seriously affected Sea water around Majorca polluted by faeces
08/15/2022 15:57
The popular holiday island of Mallorca currently has a faecal problem – according to a media report, the responsible authority has noticed a significant decline in sea water quality. Individual beaches have already been declared unsuitable for swimming.
The quality of bathing water around the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca is rapidly declining. The competent authority has noticed the increase in water pollution by faeces, reports “Mallorca Magazin”. Accordingly, in 2013, 93% of all water analyzes were rated excellent – last year it was just 71%.
According to the report, the Bay of Palma and the Bay of Pollença in the northeast of the island are particularly affected due to the high volume of sewage. In addition, Brismar beach in Port d’Andratx and Portocolom beach were also declared unsuitable for swimming in previous surveys. However, faecal pollution is even more severe on the neighboring Balearic island of Ibiza.
Ruined sewer systems
The sea water around Mallorca is examined every two weeks for the presence of the bacterial species Escherichia coli or enterococci. Both occur in sewage and can cause infectious diseases. According to the report, the main reason for dirty water in the Mediterranean is the island’s outdated and dilapidated sewage systems.
To avoid the discharge of wastewater on the beaches of the capital Palma, construction of a three-kilometre-long, two-meter-wide tunnel began at the end of July. Wastewater that overflows when it rains must be channeled through this tunnel to a reservoir in the future before being treated in the overloaded sewage treatment plant.