Last Tuesday, the Guardiola stream, within the municipality of Sant Salvador de Guardiola, suffered a manure spill that caused its waters to turn black and emit a strong odor. The Sant Salvador de Guardiola City Council has expressed its deep regret over the incident but has reassured citizens that the quality of drinking water has not been compromised, a fact also confirmed by Civil Protection.
The first alerts arrived on Tuesday afternoon from residents walking in the area who noticed the pollution. Immediately, the Sant Salvador de Guardiola Municipal Guard activated the emergency protocol and notified the Rural Agents and the Catalan Water Agency (ACA). Both entities have initiated an investigation to clarify the facts and locate the farm responsible for the spill. ACA's analyses have confirmed the presence of manure contamination.
“"Fortunately, the stream has a high flow rate, which allowed the episode to dilute relatively quickly, despite the ecological problem it still represents."
Despite the severity of the spill, sources from the Rural Agents have indicated that no fish mortality has been detected in the stream. Mayor Anna Llobet emphasized that the stream's high water flow contributed to a rapid dilution of the contamination, preventing more serious consequences. The city council awaits the investigation's results and reserves the right to take legal action.
Concern among residents has been notable, with numerous inquiries to the City Council and visits to the stream to observe the water's condition. However, two days after the incident, the situation has largely returned to normal thanks to the constant water flow. The mayor reflected on the potential magnitude of the problem if the spill had occurred during a drought period.
