Los Realejos residents demand action over sewage plant stench

It is the tallest building for miles around. The view is breathtaking – and so is the stench: residents of Los Realejos are taking action against the sewage treatment plant in the north of Tenerife. It has been the talk of the town ever since the closure of Playa Jardín.

The sewage treatment works at the foot of the Orotava Valley serves Puerto de la Cruz, Los Realejos and La Orotava. It is also the reason for the closure of Playa Jardín: untreated sewage has been leaking from a faulty pipe near the beach for years. Bacterial levels rose so high that the popular beach had to be closed for just under a year.

Local residents and business owners were delighted by the announcement of a comprehensive regeneration project. However, since work began, a new problem has arisen: on an increasing number of days, residents in neighbouring Los Realejos have been reporting an almost unbearable stench. Now they are taking action against it:

Sewage stench in northern Tenerife

Günter Koch is a resident of the Precise high-rise. The building was formerly known as Maritim Los Realejos. The property was acquired by the Berlin-based Precise Group in July 2022. The aparthotel has always accommodated both private investors and hotel guests.

What was once the Maritim Group’s first property outside Germany was long regarded as a problem child. A backlog of refurbishment work and a lack of interest first led to financial difficulties, and subsequently to its sale. The property has since reopened under a new name, combining owner-occupied accommodation with hotel operations. And now that the Playa Jardín has also reopened, everything could be perfect. But now there is a new, hidden problem.

Koch reports „unbearable odour nuisance“. The residents of the building are therefore now appealing to the Water Council of the Canary Islands. They have put forward four key demands to the consortium: the Council is to investigate the causes of the stench, check compliance with all operating conditions, ascertain whether the recent refurbishment is actually having any effect, and put in place „effective remedial measures“ to tackle the odour nuisance.

The latter is the residents‘ main concern, as „the sewage treatment plant in Puerto de la Cruz emits foul odours almost constantly, which significantly impair the quality of life of local residents, including those in Los Realejos“, according to the letter seen by Teneriffa News.

Koch goes on to say: „My flat is about 200 metres from the complex and the odours are so strong that I cannot leave the windows open and my normal use of the flat is restricted.“

Sewage at Playa Jardín on Tenerife remains a point of contention

In the letter, Koch and other local residents ask to be kept informed „about the measures taken and the results achieved“. This is because „although the sewage treatment plant was recently refurbished, the situation has not improved“, report Koch and other local residents.

„The sewage treatment plant has always caused odours, but over the past month the frequency has increased to such an extent that we have not had more than five days without odour nuisance.“ The letter also states: „These incidents occur practically every day.“

The dispute over the sewage problems at Playa Jardín is thus entering the next phase. Although the beach has now been reopened, urgent work still needs to be carried out. The Water Council has yet to respond. Meanwhile, experts expect it to take several years before all the backlog of refurbishment work has been cleared and all the conditions for EU-certified operation have been met. In the meantime, residents of the former Maritim high-rise are likely to continue to hold their breath on a regular basis.