The environmental organization Greenpeace has launched a digital tool that allows users to check the concentration of nitrates in the drinking water of each Spanish municipality. In Marina Alta, this analysis reveals that the entire coastline is at an orange level, with up to 30 mg/l, while four towns in the region have reached a critical point, identified by the color red.
The map, which includes all 33 local entities in Marina Alta, shows a clear trend: the highest nitrate concentrations are located in the coastal and pre-coastal areas. In contrast, inland municipalities predominantly show a green color, indicating levels below 6 milligrams per liter, considered safe.
This detailed overview is based on the latest consolidated information, corresponding to the year 2024, and comes from the National Drinking Water Information System (SINAC) of the Ministry of Health. According to Greenpeace, this initiative aims to make visible the complex situation that Spain is experiencing regarding water quality.
The map's color classification distinguishes between municipalities with less than 6 mg/l (green), between 6 and 30 mg/l (orange), between 30 and 50 mg/l (red, a critical point according to current legislation), and those exceeding 50 mg/l (black, the legal limit). Additionally, 1,893 municipalities (23% of the national total) where nitrates are not measured or results have not been reported to SINAC are identified in light blue.
In Marina Alta, no municipality reaches the black level, but several localities were at a critical point (red level) during 2024. These municipalities are concentrated in the Girona basin: Ondara, El Verger, Beniarbeig, and Benidoleig.
Nitrate contamination is primarily attributed to the intensive use of synthetic fertilizers in agriculture and the waste from intensive livestock farming. However, in Marina Alta, where there are no mega-farms and agriculture has declined, other factors such as aquifer vulnerability and urban pressure on water resources are also decisive. The Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) has highlighted the need to reduce this contamination, especially in the south of the region.
“"Nitrate water contamination is invisible. You can't see it or smell it. Accessing official data is really complicated, and with the map Greenpeace has launched, anyone will be able to know the state of the water coming out of their tap and act on the problem. We cannot continue to allow mega-farms to poison everyone's water so that the kings of meat can get rich. We export the vast majority of pork and are left with water that is, literally, crap."
