The Balearic Sea is drowning in sewage

PalmThe Balearic Sea has become a dump And the consequences are becoming increasingly evident. In 2025, swimming was prohibited up to 20 times on beaches in various municipalities of Mallorca, such as Manacor, Pollença, and Santanyí, among others, due to the presence of fecal bacteria that pose a public health risk. There were even exceptional bans of up to a week (from July 7 to 14) in Magaluf.

As evidenced by the Balearic Sea Report 2026 – prepared by the Marilles Foundation – the number of incidents of fecal contamination on the islands' beaches doubled in just one year (from 2024 to 2025). This increase is due to the dumping of sewage into the sea by ships, the poor condition of the sewage systems, and the lack of separation of rainwater and wastewater collection in most of the islands' municipalities. During the 2025 bathing season—the period when the Balearic Islands Health Department conducts water quality analyses—it rained heavily in the Balearic Islands, and the sewage systems became overwhelmed in certain areas. "When it rains, the sewage system should absorb all the water, but it doesn't, and the mixture of sewage and wastewater is released into the sea through the overflows," explains marine biologist Raquel Vaquer, coordinator of the Balearic Sea Report. Vaquer calls for more "maintenance of the sewage systems and even the replacement of some sections," as well as "prioritizing the upkeep of those located on the coast and separating the collection of rainwater from wastewater." Sources from the Directorate General of Water Resources assure that "the separation of wastewater at the source, the improvement of sewage networks, and the modernization of sanitation systems are priority objectives of the investment programs of the regional government and the municipalities, which are responsible for water management in urban areas." During this legislative term, "77 million euros have already been allocated with the aim of supporting municipalities in improving their water networks to move towards more sustainable management of this resource," the same sources add.

A major problem

To prevent spills into the sea, it should also be ensured that "all vessels empty their wastewater in ports and that they never do so on the coast," Vaquer continues. Is it serious for a vessel to empty its wastewater tank near the coast with the excuse that it's always been done that way? It's serious that a significant portion of the more than 30,000 recreational boats that congregate on the Balearic coast during peak season—up to 12,000 on a single day—do so. It's a serious problemAs the ARA Baleares explained, thousands of bilge discharges (wastewater tanks on boats) occur every day within three miles of the coast, where it is only permitted if the water has been treated and is free of solids, and where, in any case, emptying is not recommended.

"A huge problem," is how Bernat Casasnovas, a professional in the nautical sector who created Adriza Mediterránea, a cooperative that aims to offer solutions such as boat waste disposal using mobile units, sees the situation. Casasnovas founded the cooperative with the goal of providing a waste collection service, "since there isn't one anywhere in Menorca," he asserts. He also states that "there's only one collection machine in the port of Ciutadella, and it's not working." In addition to the lack of waste collection facilities in the ports, "boats are forced to anchor where there's sand," Casasnovas explains, "to avoid directly impacting the Posidonia seagrass when they drop anchor." That's why, instead of emptying their tanks three miles offshore, "99.9% of boats do it between beaches, so the organic matter doesn't break down and creates a layer over the seagrass, killing it permanently," he laments. Casasnovas believes the regulations governing and protecting seagrass "aren't bad," although he thinks that in Menorca "there are more problems with fecal bacteria that kill the seagrass than with anchors." Sources from the Directorate General of Water Resources assure that the Government "is promoting improvements to wastewater treatment plants and discharge points, including marine outfalls, and adapting its infrastructure to increasingly stringent standards in accordance with regulations. Furthermore, they announce that the Executive has a €219 million investment program underway for wastewater treatment and sanitation planned for the next four years." With these initiatives, the Government "aims to move towards zero beach pollution and, in the long term, towards zero discharges and water reuse."

[Salvem Portocolom is the entity that created the video that accompanies this news]