A beach in Nha Trang City of Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam was plagued for several days by raw foul-smelling murky sewage pouring into the sea after it could not be collected by local wastewater drainage systems.

Dark water flew from a drain along Pham Van Dong Street facing the Hon Mot Beach following rain in recent days in the south-central coastal city, sending its revolting odor wafting in the vicinity.

The discharge formed a large stream, washing sand on the beach away, and making its way into the sea.

“The water is so disgusting that no one wants to take a bath at the beach,” said a resident.

The People’s Committee of Nha Trang determined the cause is that local households covertly connected their sewage with a network of pipes belonging to an under-construction wastewater treatment plant, which is designed to deal with wastewater and rainwater separately.

The illegal wastewater discharge led to the failure to collect the effluent from the sewer.

The water in the sewer turned black and malodorous after a long time of no circulation.

After rain in the past few days, the stagnant water ended up overflowing the end of a seaside drainage gate leading to the Hon Mot Beach, where it met garbage from a nearby fishing market and created a pool of fetid, bubbling, and black water before penetrating the sea.

Luu Thanh Nhan, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of Nha Trang, proposed a provisional remedy that includes cleaning up the beach’s affected portion, dredging the sewer line on Pham Van Dong Street, and filling the hollow trace left by the waste stream with sand to preserve the tourist destination’s beauty.

Nhan ordered strong penalties against violators who illegally link their domestic sewage line with the city’s wastewater treatment system.

He also urged the completion of the under-construction wastewater treatment plant, located in the northern part of the city.

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