Protest in Sveti Vlas over the problem with wastewater treatment. Residents and representatives of local businesses will close the Burgas-Varna road from 9 to 9:30 a.m. with a demand for the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant.
The demonstrators insist that the institutions specify specific deadlines for solving the problem, which they believe also threatens the next tourist season in the region.
We recall that on August 12, the RZI closed the beach in Sveti Vlas due to the discharge of untreated wastewater. From there, the problems of local businesses began.
„The protest is not political in nature. We have gathered to express our dissatisfaction with the problem, which has been going on for a long time. 27 years ago, the “Elenite” wastewater treatment plant was privatized. Previous governments promised to take measures, but in fact it came to an anti-advertisement campaign after our beach was closed”, said the mayor of Sveti Vlas Ivan Nikolov.
“When the media reported that there were problems in the area, reservations were immediately canceled. The peak of the summer season is around August 15, and the news came out on August 12. We have very big losses,” shared the private business representative Stoyan Nedelchev.
The mayor insisted on a solution and called for the problem to be resolved by May 15, 2027.
”All necessary measures were taken within 2-3 months. Repairs were urgently carried out. When the problem arose in Sveti Vlas, the beach was reopened after just a week,” said the regional governor Diko Dikov.
ViK-Burgas announced that a new treatment plant would be built. “We have started the procedure for the separation and preparation of a development plan for the construction of a new treatment plant. The procedures are quite long and therefore it will take us about 2 years to start the project,” said the director of the company in Burgas.
Here is the position of the initiative committee of the residents of Sveti Vlas with more details about their demands:
"The protest is organized on the basis of Art. 8 and Art. 11 of the Law on Assemblies, Rallies and Demonstrations (ZSMM).
In 30 minutes, the Burgas-Varna road to the "Kosharitsa" checkpoint will be closed with a human chain.
The protest has no political demands. We are organizing it because Sveti Vlas and the surrounding area are in dire need of a working wastewater treatment plant. The situation is already intolerable.
On August 12, 2026, the Burgas Regional Health and Safety Authority closed the "Iztok" beach in Sveti Vlas after a previous serious accident at the "Elenite" wastewater treatment plant, which polluted the sea. This drove away tourists at the height of the season and dealt a heavy financial blow to us - the local population and businesses whose livelihood is tourism. This also damaged the image of Bulgarian marine tourism as a whole.
We believe that the responsibility for what happened lies with the state departments that sold the “Elenite“ wastewater treatment plant to private hands in 1999 through the RMD and in contradiction to the Constitution.
Over the years, the wastewater treatment plant has changed owners many times. For 27 years now, no technical improvements have been made to it and it periodically pollutes the sea. For another 27 years, the responsible state departments, instead of controlling and directing the work of the “Elenite“ wastewater treatment plant, have been inactive.
“Elenite“ purifies the wastewater of the thousand-strong population of Sveti Vlas and the region and, from this aspect, represents strategically important infrastructure. And the construction, operation and control of strategic infrastructure, on which an entire city depends, is the responsibility of the state!
We insist on specific deadlines, not promises:
1. By November 1, 2026 — the responsible ministries to initiate a meeting and present a written Action Plan with specific steps and deadlines for a permanent solution to the problem.
2. By May 15, 2027 — the problem with wastewater treatment in Sveti Vlas to be permanently solved, before the holding of "Eurovision" and the beginning of the summer tourist season.
We have sent an official letter to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, with a copy to the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, the Minister of Environment and Water, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Tourism and the Regional Governor of Burgas.
We have also attached a petition from residents of Sveti Vlas and the municipality of Nessebar, with which we insist on a quick and lasting solution to the problem of wastewater treatment in Sveti Vlas and the region.
We reserve the right to new protests if there is no dialogue and the specified deadlines are not met.
We have nothing to lose - we are fighting for the health and livelihood of our families. We are also fighting for the future of sea tourism along the entire Bulgarian Black Sea coast, because a problem like this does not remain within the boundaries of one beach - it affects the reputation of all of Bulgaria as a sea destination".