Catarina Martins stated that the failure to connect sewage to the new WWTP is “one of the examples of the bad environmental policy that has been followed”.

“A new WWTP was built to pretend that the problems of the Ria Formosa were being solved, but basic sanitation was not done to ensure that the sewage goes to the WWTP, so we continue to have discharges in the Ria”, she accused.

For the deputy, the discharges cause a big damage to the "balance of biodiversity" of the entire landscape that is "protected" at national and European level and also the "economic activity of many families" of shellfish gatherers who “depend on the harvesting of bivalves”, which “so often” is prohibited because the quality of the water “does not allow their capture”.

Giving as an example this case in Olhão, Catarina Martins underlined that basic sanitation “should no longer be an issue in municipal elections” in the 21st century, but stressed that this issue “is still a necessity that the municipalities have not responded to”.

The BE leader argued that it is necessary to "look at this sad and absurd reality" which is the "lack of basic sanitation in the country", arguing that it is "fundamental" to build basic infrastructure to protect the environment and public health.

In a speech that already looks at local elections on 26 September, she considered it essential to "give strength" to the environmental project - for the protection of the country - which "understands" the environmental challenges that lie ahead and which "does not forgets” to “think about people and their quality of life”.