EU Water Law

Directive 2006/7/EC concerning the management of bathing water quality organises their monitoring and classification, the management of their quality and information to the public.

Bathing water falling within the scope of the Directive includes “any element” of surface water where the competent authority expects a large number of people to bathe and has not imposed a permanent bathing prohibition, or issued permanent advice against bathing (with the exception of swimming pools and spa pools, confined waters subject to treatment or used for therapeutic purposes and artificially created confined waters separated from surface water and groundwater (Article 1(3)).

Limit values are laid down for intestinal enterococci and Escherichia coli which have a known capacity as being indicative of water quality (Article 3(2) and Annex I) (Intestinal enterococci are “correlated” to gastroenteritis and Escherichia coli is the main component of the former faecal coli forms).

The classification of bathing waters has four categories: poor, sufficient, good or excellent. All bathing waters must at least of “sufficient” quality. Measures are taken with a view to increasing the number of bathing waters classified as “excellent” or “good” (Article 5(1) and (3)).

In the case of classification of water as “poor” quality, national authorities must take “adequate” management measures, including a bathing prohibition or advise against bathing (which becomes permanent after five consecutive years), the identification of the causes and reasons for that quality level, and the adequate measures required to prevent, reduce or eliminate the causes of pollution (Article 5(4)).