CHAPTER 14 • Tourist Development in the Costa Brava (Girona, Spain)
a
b
40
35
Vi'
-g 30
~
5 2S
.c
~ 20
VI
c
.s 15
u
.;::
~ 10
~
5
5000
4500
4000
Vi'
-0
~
3500
VI
:l
o 3000
.c
~
E 2500
2000
1500
J
J
........ Waste production
F M A M
J
.... Treated sewage water
0-0 Water consumption
F M A M
J
J
A
J
A
s o N D
s o N D
Fig. 14.5. a Waste production, and b water consumption and treated sewage water in the Costa Brava
region. Data shows the average from 1987 to 1992 (±s.d.) (Adapted from EUPG 1993)
are heavily used (water consumption averaged 1210 hm 3 a-I) and soon it will be necessary divert freshwater from the Ebro or the Rhone basin to meet domestic needs.
In relation to water treatment, the Autonomous Government is managing a sewage
treatment plan which will provide all municipalities greater than 2000 inhabitants to
have a biological treatment system by the year 2005 in order to accomplish the 76h60/CE
Directive, to improve the quality of the sewage released into the water. Although the
development of new plants have improved the quality of our running waters as well as
the aquifers of the region, it is also true that we still have problems derived of ominous
practices, and the unsuitable use of the river biological flows. Treatment plants of littoral municipalities are being scaled to the maximum population size at the tourist
season (Fig. 14.5b). The relationship between sewage treatment and the quality of the