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 the water quality of the sea. Individual beaches have already been declared unsuitable for swimming.
The quality of the bathing water around the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca is declining rapidly. The competent authority has noticed increasing water pollution from faeces, reports the "Mallorca Magazin". According to this, in 2013, 93 percent of all water analyzes were rated as excellent - last year it was only 71 percent.
According to the report, the Bay of Palma and the Bay of Pollença in the north-east of the island are particularly affected due to the high volume of sewage. In addition, the Brismar beach in Port d'Andratx and the beach at Portocolom were also declared unsuitable for bathing during the past surveys. However, faecal pollution is even more severe on the neighboring Balearic island of Ibiza.
The seawater 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 According to the report, the main reason for the dirty water in the Mediterranean is the outdated and dilapidated sewage systems on the island.
In order to prevent the discharge of waste water on the city beaches of the capital Palma, construction of a three kilometer long and two meter wide tunnel began at the end of July. Wastewater overflowing when it rains is to be channeled through this tunnel into a reservoir in the future before it is treated in the otherwise overburdened sewage treatment plant.
