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Press Release 037/2005

1st European and 2nd International Elbe Swimming Day:

Clean waters lure bathers

95.9 percent of Germany’s bathing waters already meet the standards of the European Bathing Water Directive

On 17 July 2005 many European countries, including Germany, will host a national Swimming Day. The good news is that more and more bodies of water in Germany are clean enough for swimming. The current report on bathing water quality by the EU Commission, available online at http://europa.eu.int/water/water-bathing/report.html demonstrates that the number of bathing waters in Germany that meet the standards of the EC Water Framework Directive continued to rise in the past year, and now stands at 95.9 percent (2003: 95.8%; 2002: 93.7%). This development is no coincidence, but rather the outcome of rigorous environmental policy. The network of sewage treatment facilities is virtually complete, as roughly 95 percent of the population in Germany is connected. In addition, these facilities’ purification capacity has improved constantly as has the safety of industrial plants, whose production of sewage has steadily declined. This is confirmed by the atlas of biological water quality which reports on some 30,000 kilometers along Germany’s rivers. Biological water quality in Water Class II and better rose from 47 percent in 1995 to 65 percent in 2000.

On a bittersweet note: Although bathing areas, rivers, and lakes in Germany have by and large become cleaner, they have still to achieve their semi-natural state in order to continue to serve as an ecosystem. The goal of achieving “good” quality as per the European Water Framework Directive can only be expected to be achieved in 60% of surface waters and over 50 % of groundwater with great effort. For another 25% of surface waters, it is at present uncertain whether the target can be achieved at all. The main reasons for this are the considerable changes in rivers’ morphology, often caused by straightening water courses or canalization. In addition, there is serious contamination of lakes and coastal waters by nutrient input stemming primarily from agriculture.

Certain hygiene aspects are critical in determining bathing water quality. Since humans are directly exposed to water while swimming, any form of water pollution (e.g. by pathogens) can make bathers ill. The Bathing Water Directive still in force was passed in 1976, and recent experience has shown that for the sake of consumer protection, the legislation must be adopted to take account of new scientific knowledge and today’s practices. A new bathing water directive is therefore being discussed at the EU level which might enter into force at the beginning of 2006. Its most important regulations are: adjustment of guide and limit values for significant microbiological parameters as well as stricter limit values for coastal waters. Managers of bathing waters will be obliged to take proactive steps to avoid or clean up water pollution.

Especially for the sake of the health of the millions of tourists who flock to Europe’s beaches every year, Germany has spoken out for stricter limit values in general, but only achieved results for coastal waters. The target remains to prohibit any pathogens from entering bathing waters (e.g. from sewage systems). In addition to hygienic quality of bathing waters, ecological and chemical quality of water will be monitored and checked more intensively in the future so as to achieve the environmental goals stated in the European Water Directive with a high degree of cost efficiency and the greatest possible success.

Dessau-Roßlau, 15 July 2005