Tenerife Sewage Discharges Spark Environmental Concerns Amid Infrastructure Crisis
A viral video showing sewage discharge in El Rosario has intensified scrutiny of Tenerife’s failing underwater pipeline infrastructure, which currently accounts for 60% of environmental sanctioning cases across the Canary Islands.
Tenerife’s sewage infrastructure is back in the spotlight after a video shared on social media showed murky liquid being discharged into the sea between Radazul and La Nea in El Rosario. The footage, filmed on August 2, has sparked fresh concerns about the condition of underwater pipes and the environmental impact on a popular area for swimming and water sports.
This is not an isolated issue; it is part of a wider, structural problem across the island. According to the Canary Islands Agency for the Protection of the Natural Environment (ACPMN), Tenerife is responsible for 60% of all environmental sanctioning cases in the archipelago between 2024 and 2025—33 out of 54 total cases. Over the last two years, these irregularities at discharge points have resulted in more than 174,000 euros in fines.
The frequency of these incidents has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of maintenance and the authorities' ability to protect the coastline. Deteriorating underwater pipelines have already led to preventive beach closures at locations like Playa Jardín in Puerto de la Cruz, and have previously triggered emergency protocols in the Bocacangrejo and La Nea areas due to contamination risks.
While the Canary Islands’ General Directorate of Public Health regularly monitors water quality, environmental groups are calling for a faster response. They are urging officials to take immediate action whenever visual signs of pollution appear, to determine whether the problem is caused by a broken pipe or a faulty valve. Identifying the root cause quickly is essential to deciding whether urgent repairs are needed or if swimming should be restricted to protect public health.