The Ecological Needles in Action of the Lower Llobregat raised this Tuesday the problem of the discharge of untreated sewage in some of the protected spaces of the Llobregat river delta area to the Parliament of Catalonia. In addition, he assured that he has already submitted a complaint to the Environmental Prosecutor’s Office for the last episodes of the beginning of this month.
After holding a meeting with the parliamentary groups and sending them documentation, Jaume Grau, representative of the environmental association, reported that during 2019 they counted 144 spills in 45 days. According to the entity, the problem lies in the Gavà-Viladecans treatment plant, especially affecting the Murtra pond, protected by the Natura 2000 Network. The AMB, manager of the equipment and which distanced itself from any responsibility in recent episodes, has explained on more than one occasion that in rainy situations the system collapses because most of the cities in the area do not have a water management system that separates wastewater from rainwater.
However, Jaume Grau said that this version “does not coincide” with the data they have been able to collect, which does not include data from the last three years. “There are rainy days when there are no discharges; and days with discharges without rain,” he argued. That is why he once again demanded that the situation be clarified.
The problems in water sanitation in the Llobregat delta are not exactly new. Almost four years ago, the AMB assured this newspaper that it was working on a new master plan with a long-term view and that requires significant investments. The complicity of the municipalities in the area and the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), an organization dependent on the Generalitat, was needed.
But the situation persists and sewage, with its wipes and compresses among other solid elements, continues to contaminate natural spaces.