SeA contamination problem

'Badalona beach right now, and every time it rains... The absence of rainwater deposits and the sanitary sewer that's been broken for years makes sewage waters overflow onto the beach. More plastic, contamination and absolute disregard for nature'.

The 23-second video by @PutxiNellii showed brown waters flowing into the Mediterranean sea. Badalona's sewage problem hit the fan.

Human and animal waste, plastic, harmful metals and rubbish all enter Badalona Mediterranean waters regularly without much coverage. It happens so often that some are no longer outraged.

This is a crime against the environment and it must stop.

thanks @PutxiNellii, here is the link to the original tweet

What contaminates the sea in Badalona?

During rainfall Badalona's outdated sewage system gets flooded and, as a result, overflows.

Things we flush into our toilets (ear cotton buds, tampons, sanitary pads, condoms, etc) end up in the sea. These things could take hundreds of years to decompose and in the meantime they damage marine life.

Not just human poo

'As rainfall travels over roofs and the ground, it may pick up various contaminants including soil particles and other sediment, heavy metals, organic compounds, animal waste, and oil and grease' (wikipedia).

thanks @Oriol_RB for documenting how rain runs down the mountain on 2nd September 2019. See the original tweet with video

While human poo in water is a health hazard, it's biodegradable, which means it decomposes.

As water runs down the mountains it picks up rubbish, including plastic. This can take 20, 100, 600 years to decompose, depending on its type.

This is explained in this video about water management in Badalona (YouTube), 1'40", campaign #EstemCreantUnMonstre (Sostenible.cat) and sewage treatment wikipedia page.

thanks @PutxiNellii for photos of rubbish in the sea in Badalona, 2018-2019

Contaminated soils

There are a number of contaminated soils left by old factories in Badalona, which are reported to pose a carcinogenic risk (newspaper La Vanguardia, 2019).

The local authorities have preferred to cement rather than decontaminate. The article by the newspaper Ara.cat (2019) compares Badalona beach with Chernobyl - one of 2 worst nuclear accidents in the world.

Some of the soils which contain harmful metals like uranium and arsenic may still leak through. That's why the 2 parameters analysed by Agua.cat (bacterias Escherichia coli and Enterococcus) may not give us a complete picture of water quality in Badalona.

thanks @JoaquimCosp discussing this on twitter in 2018 and 2019

Street rubbish is a problem in Badalona

Rubbish dumping and poor waste management in Badalona is well-documented on twitter.

Street bin design and high winds also mean that even rubbish that people put in the bin can be lifted by high winds and end up in the sea.

photo: @whatsup_bdn

What is a combined sewer system?

Combined sewers, where rainwater and sewage water mix, were used in 19th and early 20th century. Most sewage systems built after 1950s use separate sanitary sewers that carry sewage waters to a treatment plant.

The overflow of sewage waters due to rain is known as combined sewer overflow (CSO).

Source: Climate Central

thanks @martanago for capturing a contamination episode unprovoked by rain on August 29, 2019. Here is the link to the original tweet,

Regular sewage overflows into the sea in Badalona requires collaboration and data to find a solution.

However, due to lack of accurate data and trivilisation by some media and responsible authorities means that problem doesn't get the attention it needs.

As the effects of the problem are under-estimated, the problem doesn't look like a priority to the relevant authorities. Thus, the problem perpetuates itself.

Does this only happen in Badalona?

No. It's a problem affecting other towns in Catalonia, Spain in general and elsewhere in Europe, especially in France, Spain and Italy (the worst contaminating countries in Europe, according to Fundacion Aquae). The newspaper El País reported that Spain was fined 22M euros for lack of adequate water treatment and its overflows into the sea.

Next: why reporting is misleading and insufficient

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