ATAN: Swimming in the Canary Islands is a health risk due to sewage discharges
Spain has been condemned by the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to properly control urban wastewater discharges, with the Canary Islands, and Tenerife in particular, identified as a major area of concern.
Campaigners argue that wastewater problems are part of a broader crisis. The Canary Islands face water scarcity, extreme pressure on infrastructure, and heavy reliance on imported food, estimated at 80 to 92%. These factors contributed to the islands being included in the Fodor’s No List 2026, which highlights destinations suffering from unsustainable tourism pressures.
ATAN and other groups are demanding a temporary halt to further tourism expansion, urgent investment in sewage treatment infrastructure, independent audits of discharge points, and new residency rules to limit population growth.
They are also calling for immediate public health warnings, preventive beach closures when safety thresholds are exceeded, an end to illegal discharges through a clear public timetable, and honest information for visitors via tour operators.
For British residents and tourists, the message is clear: while the Canary Islands remain a hugely popular destination, longstanding sewage management failures are now firmly under EU scrutiny, and decisive action will be needed to protect both public health and the environment.
Tenerife at the centre of EU findings
In a ruling issued in December 2025, the court found that Spain had breached the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. The judgement assessed data from 2020 and highlighted 29 critical problem areas across the country, 12 of them located in Tenerife.
The deficiencies include faulty sewage collectors, inadequate wastewater treatment and poor monitoring systems. While no immediate fine was imposed, the ruling opens the door to heavy financial penalties if urgent corrective measures are not taken.
This is not the first time Spain has faced sanctions. In 2019, the EU fined the country €12 million, plus €10.9 million for every additional six months of non-compliance, over long-standing cases such as Valle de Güímar.
Hundreds of sewage discharge points
According to the Canary Islands Government’s land-to-sea discharge census (2025), the archipelago has 403 sewage discharge points. Of these, 216 do not have official authorisation. The majority are again concentrated in Tenerife, raising serious environmental and public health concerns.
These problems have had visible consequences. Playa Jardín in Puerto de la Cruz was closed for almost a year due to dangerously high levels of E. coli, caused by cracks in underwater outfall pipes and failures in the local sewage system.
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