For decades, Gibraltar has sent untreated sewage straight into the Mediterranean Sea. To this day, a steady stream of raw sewage has been flowing from Europa Point, and the problem remains unresolved. 

As reported by the Guardian, wastewater from about 40,000 residents and businesses goes straight into the sea because the British overseas territory of Gibraltar has never had a wastewater treatment plant.

The long-running failure has already drawn legal scrutiny. The Guardian reported that, in 2017, the European Court of Justice found the U.K. in violation of wastewater law because of Gibraltar's untreated sewage.

But Brexit left the European Commission without power to take action. Since then, repeated efforts to build a treatment plant have stalled, even as complaints have grown over sewage odors and visible pollution in coastal and tourist areas.

A 2018 contract with a joint venture involving Northumbrian Water and Modern Water later collapsed when one of Modern Water's subsidiaries entered liquidation.

In June of last year, Gibraltar awarded a 25-year contract to Eco Waters for a wastewater treatment plant at Europa Point.

One major obstacle is Gibraltar's unusual sewerage system, which uses seawater rather than freshwater. Gibraltar's government said the high salinity has "historically created challenges" not typically faced by treatment plants elsewhere.

The environmental stakes are difficult to overstate. 

Raw sewage can fuel algal blooms that strip oxygen from the water, harming fish and other marine life. It can also expose marine animals to plastics and chemicals that disrupt reproduction and long-term health.

Lewis Stagnetto, of the Nautilus Project, a local environmental charity, told the Guardian that there are often "wet wipes and plastic pollution entangled in algae and all over the rocks" near the discharge area.

For people living in or visiting Gibraltar, the issue is also deeply immediate. 

Sewage pollution can spread pathogens and antibiotic-resistant genes, while foul smells and dirty shorelines can erode the enjoyment of beaches and waterfront spaces, which takes a toll on the tourism industry.

Official beach testing currently shows "excellent bathing-water quality," but the larger wastewater treatment system failure still delays progress toward a cleaner and safer future for residents and local businesses.

The government blamed decades of underinvestment for this issue and said it is now investing £15 million, or roughly $20.4 million, into sewer infrastructure and relining work to reinforce parts of the main sewer.

As Oceana UK director Hugo Tagholm put it, according to the Guardian, "The public are outraged that our rivers and seas are treated as a dumping ground." 

"The government must get its act together at home and abroad — our seas need proper protection from sewage and plastic pollution. It's high time they end the outrage and stop the pumping of untreated sewage into the Mediterranean Sea," he declared.

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