On Sunday, a wall collapsed at the sewage treatment plant, leaking at least 1,250 tons of sewage sludge into the Baltic Sea. Authorities have banned swimming in the sea and closed off beaches between the border with Lithuania in the south and the town of Pavilosta, some 40 kilometers north of Liepaja.
The mayor of Liepaja said Monday that he does not yet know when the problem will be resolved. Latvia’s national conservation organization has launched an investigation into the matter.