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Knowing the quality of bathing water, whether saltwater or freshwater, is one way of preventing risks to bathers’ health.
Regular monitoring of bathing water quality makes it possible to learn the impacts of runoff upstream from the site and, in particular, to assess the possible dysfunctioning due to wastewater sanitation, dirty rainwater runoff, etc, which would influence the water quality at the bathing site. The knowledge derived from this process can provide a decision-making tool to the local authorities so that they can better control the causes of pollution resulting in particular from poorly-managed domestic wastewater. |
The sanitary assessment of bathing water is carried out at the prefecture level, by the Department-Wide Directorates on Health and Social Affairs (DDASS/DSS/DSDS), decentralised services under the Ministry of Health:
Identifying bathing sites
Health inspections are carried out on all areas open to the public where bathing is usually engaged in by a large number of bathers and where bathing has not been prohibited by legal order. Bathing areas are defined jointly by the bathing area manager (private individual, town government, etc.) and DDASS.
In practice, these are areas visited non-occasionally, where the sudden influx of people during the bathing season exceeds 10 bathers.
More information:
Any person who sets up a bathing site is must file a documented operating permit application with the Town Council. The Mayor sends the application to the local prefect, who arranges for an inspection, and to the DDASS* office, so that the assessment can be arranged. “Organised” bathing sites, as defined by the Public Health Code (Article L1332-1 and thereafter) comprise sites that have been outfitted to encourage bathing (information sign, parking areas, artificial sandbanks, etc.), set off as an area protected from contamination, with at least two sanitary facilities and posted information about the site’s safety and results of health inspections.
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Choosing Sampling Point(s)
The quality of bathing water is determined based on the results of analyses on samples taken at a specific monitoring point, determined by the DDASS authorities and the site manager*. The sampling point(s) is/are always the same. Set in the area where the greatest number of bathers is expected, the point(s) must be easily accessible.
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