Environmental disaster in Lalzi Bay / Sewage discharged into the sea, polluting the coastline at the height of the season

A troubling environmental situation has been identified in Lalzi Bay, where sewage is suspected of being discharged directly into the sea. Footage published on social media shows pollution along the coastline in one of the areas most frequented by holidaymakers, while the incident comes at the height of the tourist season.

Albania has one of the lowest rates in Europe for connecting the population to wastewater treatment systems. In 2024, only 12.6% of the population was connected to treatment plants providing at least secondary wastewater treatment, according to Eurostat data.

The indicator measures the share of the population connected to systems in which wastewater undergoes at least biological treatment before being discharged into the environment.

The data also show a sharp deterioration in the indicator in recent years. The figure for Albania was 33.6% in 2018, fell to 30.9% in 2020, and then dropped to 12.6% in 2024.

Albania also ranks among the lowest levels compared with countries in the region.

In 2024, Serbia’s indicator stood at around 15.5%, approximately 3 percentage points higher than Albania’s. The difference is even greater compared with European Union countries.

The EU average reached 80.7% in 2023, or around six times higher than Albania’s level in the same year.