25 May 2016: The European Environment Agency (EEA) reported major improvements in water quality at public bathing sites around Europe since 1991, attributing the gains to large-scale investments in sewage treatment, along with continuous monitoring.

Water quality monitoring at public bathing sites began in 1976, with the issuing of the EU’s Bathing Water Directive. With the expansion of the EU, around 9,600 sites have been continuously monitored for 25 years, and more than 21,000 sites are now monitored in Europe. The EEA reports on its water quality findings annually. The 2015 report showed that 96% of sites around Europe are meeting EU bathing water standards, and 87% sites are deemed to have excellent water quality. At the beginning of the 1990s, 25% of sites did not meet minimum water quality standards. The agency says this improvement demonstrates the importance of investing in wastewater infrastructure to reduce pollution.

Nevertheless, some bathing sites experienced deterioration in water quality, with significant changes occurring at some sites in Italy, France, the Netherlands and Spain. Under EU regulations, sites that repeatedly report below-standard water quality are required to be closed to public bathing.

Swimmers at polluted beaches and lakes are exposed to fecal contamination, with the risk of illness increasing in times of heavy rains and floods, due to sewage overflows. The EEA’s bathing water website provides an interactive map that allows users to check on water quality at beach and inland bathing sites around Europe. [Publication: European Bathing Water Quality in 2015] [EEA Interactive Map] [EEA Press Release]