The European Commission is suing Spain for improper treatment of its wastewater

The European Commission is returning to Spain to face trial for insufficient wastewater treatment. Brussels believes that despite progress, one hundred “urban agglomerations” are still not working properly after using water.

Following the first notification in 2016 and the issuance of an ultimatum to environmental regulations in February 2020, the Commission decided to denounce Spain. “He must redouble his efforts to ensure that the collected wastewater receives adequate treatment to reach appropriate levels in this matter,” he explained this Wednesday. This forces money to be spent because “there are agglomerations where infrastructure needs to be built or improved.”

The fact is that these used waters can carry viruses or bacteria that pose a threat to human health, as well as pollution of lakes, rivers, soils and aquifers. They also contain nutrients, livestock and agricultural wastes, “which can damage freshwater and the marine environment by overgrowth of algae, which suffocates other forms of life, a process called eutrophication,” says Brussels.

Spain’s problem with water treatment is recurring headaches that, in addition, lead to periodic fines. In 2018, European magistrates have already issued a verdict against Spain for similar reasons. The ruling included a fine of € 12 million and an additional € 11 million each semester, which remained a problem. The amount payable is reduced as the default is settled.

In addition, in December last year, a commission condemned Spain before a court for polluting water obtained from agricultural and livestock waste. In this case, a “bad” response was indicated when nitrates flow into the environment and end up in both surface and groundwater. This nitrate comes from livestock shortages, especially from intensive pig farming and irrigation of its fertilizers. Brussels declared it ugly that the wake-up calls were “for three years”.