A new wastewater discharge into Ibiza Port following rainfall on 3 November 2026 has prompted a disagreement between Ibiza Town Council and the Balearic Government over the condition and operation of the port's stormwater infrastructure. The dispute comes as the two main pumps at the port's stormwater tank have been removed for inspection to establish whether a technical problem is restricting their performance.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, 3 November, when rainwater entering the drainage network contributed to an overflow that reached the harbour near the maritime station and the ferry boarding area connecting Ibiza with Formentera.

The Balearic Government's Department of the Sea and the Water Cycle has pointed to the lack of complete separation between rainwater and wastewater networks as a contributing factor. However, Ibiza Town Council disputes that this alone explains the incident, arguing that the rainfall recorded should not have overwhelmed the port's pumping installation.

Wastewater Discharge Following Rainfall in Ibiza

The latest incident was reported after rainfall affected Ibiza and Formentera on 3 November.

The discharge occurred in the port area used by ferries travelling between Ibiza and Formentera, close to the maritime station and the Burger King.

Footage of the incident was supplied to local media by a resident, showing wastewater reaching the harbour following the rainfall.

The Port Authority confirmed the discharge and activated its POLREP pollution-response procedure, used to coordinate responses to incidents involving potential pollution in port waters.

The episode has renewed concerns about the capacity of Ibiza's drainage and wastewater infrastructure to manage periods of rainfall without resulting in discharges into the surrounding marine environment.

Balearic Government Points to the Combined Drainage Network

The Conselleria del Mar y del Ciclo del Agua has attributed the overflow to the volume of rainwater entering the sewerage network.

According to the regional department, rainwater and wastewater continue to share parts of Ibiza's drainage infrastructure. During periods of rainfall, the additional water can increase the volume entering the system and place pressure on pumping installations.

In this case, the department explained that the port's stormwater tank was temporarily unable to evacuate all the water it received, resulting in the discharge into the harbour.

The joint venture responsible for operating the installation, comprising FACSA, Islasfalto and Transportes Bufí, reportedly informed the Conselleria that pumping operations were able to clear the accumulated flow once the volume of incoming water decreased.

The regional government considers the separation of rainwater and wastewater networks an important measure to reduce the risk of similar incidents in the future.

Ibiza Town Council Rejects Responsibility for the Latest Incident

Ibiza Town Council has strongly challenged the regional government's explanation.

Municipal sources argue that the rainfall recorded on 3 November was not sufficiently intense to justify the failure to evacuate the incoming water.

The Council also points out that the stormwater tank at the port is infrastructure dependent on the Balearic Government's Department of the Sea and the Water Cycle.

According to municipal representatives, the pumping system should have been capable of handling the rainfall recorded that day without an overflow occurring.

The municipality has therefore questioned whether a problem within the pumping installation itself contributed to the incident.

Town Council sources have also stressed that the separation of rainwater and wastewater networks is already being addressed through infrastructure works currently under way in the city.

Two Main Pumps Removed from the Stormwater Tank

On Thursday, 5 November, technicians were working at the port's stormwater tank after the two main pumps were removed for inspection.

The installation has four pumps in total: two used during normal operation and two additional units kept as reserves.

The Conselleria del Mar y del Ciclo del Agua explained that monitoring records indicate the pumps had been operating during recent rainfall episodes.

However, the fact that the equipment was running does not necessarily mean it was working at full capacity.

The inspection is intended to identify whether partial obstructions or other technical problems could have restricted the pumps' performance.

The results are particularly important because the latest discharge has raised questions about whether the incident was caused by the volume of water entering the system, limitations within the pumping equipment or a combination of both.

At the time of the latest report, no definitive technical explanation had been established.

Aqualia Begins Rainwater and Wastewater Separation Works in es Pratet

Ibiza Town Council has also highlighted infrastructure improvements already under way in es Pratet, one of the areas identified as particularly problematic in relation to the city's drainage network.

Following the award of the new municipal water-service contract to Aqualia, work has begun to separate rainwater drainage from wastewater infrastructure.

At the time of the report, workers were carrying out interventions in streets including Diputado José Ribas and Carlos V.

Municipal sources described the works as an important step after approximately 20 years of extensions to the previous water-service contract.

The objective is to prevent rainwater from entering the wastewater network in the same way, reducing the additional pressure placed on the sewerage system during rainfall.

However, the works currently under way in es Pratet do not mean that the separation of both networks has been completed throughout Ibiza.

Responsibility Remains Unresolved as Technical Inspections Continue

The latest discharge has exposed a disagreement between the two administrations over the factors contributing to recurring wastewater problems in Ibiza.

The Balearic Government has highlighted the need to separate rainwater and wastewater networks, while the municipality maintains that the port's pumping installation should have been capable of managing the rainfall recorded on 3 November.

With the two main pumps removed for inspection and a written report requested from the company operating the installation, further technical information will be needed to establish what happened.

For the time being, the precise cause of the latest discharge remains unresolved, as does the question of whether the drainage network, the pumping equipment or both contributed to the overflow.

Preventing further wastewater discharges into Ibiza Port remains an important infrastructure and environmental challenge for the island.