Tallinn rejects sewer overhaul to clean Inglirand beach water

Tallinn will not rebuild its stormwater sewer system to clean the water at Inglirand beach behind the Russalka monument, ERR reported. Instead, the city will seek illegal wastewater connections that may be affecting stormwater quality, Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan of Isamaa said.

Inglirand has for years been known for an unpleasant smell and polluted water. The Health Board has repeatedly warned that swimming there may be dangerous.

Järvan said the main cause of the smell along Tallinn Bay is algae growth encouraged by high nutrient levels in the water. Most of the nutrient load entering Tallinn’s roadstead comes from the Pirita River, he said, with agriculture in the river’s catchment area the largest source. Reducing its impact would not have any quick or simple solutions, he added.

In 2021, the then head of Tallinn’s central district said he hoped Inglirand could become a public swimming area. The beach was renovated when the Reidi road was completed.

Last summer, then central district head Sander Andla of the Reform Party said the root problem was the presence of several stormwater outlets and a port near Inglirand. He proposed moving the outlets farther away, warning that the work would cost several million euros.

Järvan said redirecting stormwater flowing into the Inglirand area was not a realistic solution because it would require extensive reconstruction of the stormwater sewer networks in Tallinn’s central district and Lasnamäe district.

The city has commissioned a study to identify possible pollution sources, but the first study could not locate them because the catchment area under investigation is large. The search will continue, and additional studies will be commissioned if necessary, Järvan said.