The beaches of Badalona, Montgat, and Sant Adrià de Besòs wake up with a red flag and swimming prohibited. The reason: a spill into the sea due to the collapse of the old sewage system, which mixes rainwater with wastewater. Authorities ask people to avoid the water and estimate the restriction will last about 24 hours. A classic of every summer that once again brings the dirty laundry to light.
Pipes from the last century: the burden of a system that doesn't separate waters 🌊
The problem isn't the rain, but a combined sewer system that doesn't distinguish between what falls from the sky and what goes down the toilet. When there's a storm, the network becomes saturated and the excess is discharged into the sea untreated. The existing pumping stations and storm tanks are not enough. The solution lies in separating circuits and expanding reservoirs, but that investment has been sitting in drawers for years. Meanwhile, the coastline pays the price.
Summer, sun, sand, and... a cocktail of wastewater? No, thanks 🏖️
Nothing beats a dip to cool off, but if the sea has more bacteria than an office keyboard, better stay on the towel. The 24-hour restriction forecast almost sounds like a joke: it's the time the system takes to flush out the mess. Meanwhile, swimmers look at the water with the same trust as at a blinking yellow traffic light: they know something doesn't add up. And summer, once again, treats us to the same old episode.