European Video on Clean Waters. SPAIN?

Click on download  to view the short video.

It is no coincidence that Spain is not mentioned here. You can find the dirty beaches by googling ‘playas con bandera negras’ adding your region. Many of our beaches, blue flag or not are extremely polluted. Many with effluent directly into the sea from the nearby built up areas. Many do not realise that they are swimming in faecal and other waste.

For a country that relies on tourism, this is a disgrace. Some provincial areas may only have one treatment plant which cannot cope with the influx of tourists in the summer seasons.

The best guide to use to be sure that you are swimming in clean seas, are the winds. In the eastern littoral, you will notice that when the wind blows from the west ‘poniente’ the sea is usually quite icy (especially on the coasts nearing the straits of Gibraltar) and clean. This is due to the westerly winds pushing the waste out to sea. Easterly winds ‘levante’ this is when the seas are at their dirtiest. You will note the difference in the sea state, choppy, not so blue, murky, frothy, certain plastics and other rubbish floating. This is due to the levante wind bringing the effluent back to the shore.

Suggest that Spain gets its act together and gives us decent water to swim in. Millions come into the coffers from tourism and from those who live here.

CAB Spain thanks the EU Parlaiment for the video.

Please note: The information provided is based upon our understanding of current legislation. It is not legal advice but is provided freely to enable you to be properly informed. We recommend that if you are considering taking action, you should seek professional advice.