The organization Acció Ecologista-Agró has warned that, since the October 2024 DANA, wastewater from Catarroja, and possibly other municipalities, has been continuously discharged into the Albufera Natural Park. Faced with this situation, the entity has urged competent administrations to find solutions to end this environmental problem.
The Generalitat has confirmed that it is in contact with the Catarroja City Council to resolve this issue, which originates in the sewage network and rainwater channeling. Sources from the Ministry of Environment have clarified that this episode of discharges is recent and that, once detected, administrations took action. An emergency contract is currently being processed to start the works as soon as possible.
The main problem lies in the partial collapse of a network wall, which causes overflows when there is an excess of rainwater. Although the rupture did not occur during the DANA, it is acknowledged that the episode could have deteriorated the infrastructure. In December 2024, after emergency works, a significant discharge caused by the rupture of the Poyo ravine collector was stopped, and subsequent actions were carried out for a definitive infrastructure.
“"In parallel, the Generalitat, in collaboration with other administrations, is working to improve the water quality of La Albufera and, among other things, in recent months, lake monitoring has been improved, allowing for rapid identification of discharges like this one."
In addition, tons of waste, including those considered hazardous, have been removed in riverside municipalities, and a bathymetry has been promoted to understand the lake's morphology after the DANA, with a view to selective dredging. Acció Ecologista-Agró emphasizes that the Albufera has suffered from wastewater problems for over 50 years and is far from its good ecological status, as defined by the European Water Framework Directive.
The environmental organization reports that data published by the Ministry of Environment confirm very high concentrations of substances and physicochemical parameters characteristic of fecal and industrial contamination, with toxic effects on aquatic fauna. They consider it a priority for all administrations to arbitrate and facilitate actions to radically stop this massive entry of wastewater into the wetland.
Finally, Acció Ecologista-Agró recalls that the Ministry has presented the 'Action Plan for the Recovery and Improvement of the Resilience of the Albufera', with a budget of 56.3 million euros, which amounts to 132.5 million with other ongoing actions. Likewise, the 'Comprehensive Action Plan for the Ecological Recovery of La Albufera' by the Generalitat Valenciana foresaw 100 million euros and an additional 15 million for dredging. The organization hopes these funds will be used to resolve the continuous problem of discharges.
