- Most of the lakes and rivers in Switzerland have excellent water quality.
- 81.5 percent of all Swiss bathing water analyzed in 2020 received a rating of “adequate” to “excellent” for water quality.
- This stems from the new European Environment Agency (EEA) bathing water report, published by the European Union Authority in Copenhagen.
A total of 189 swimming places in Switzerland have been reported to the European Union for Europe. 136 of them received an “excellent” rating. But in the previous year there were more, that is, 195.
Only two shower points were not enough
In 2020, 15 shower areas were rated “good” and three were “adequate.” Only two bathing areas in western Switzerland scored ‘unsatisfactory’: the ‘Clendy’ bathing area near Yverdon-les-Bains (VD) on Lake Neuchâtel and the ‘Pointe à la Bise’ on Lake Geneva.
33 shower areas could not be evaluated due to insufficient water samples.
22,276 bodies of water were examined across Europe
Copenhagen-based EUA analyzed data on 22,276 bodies of water in the European Union, Albania and Switzerland for the annual report.
The commission looked into water contamination with fecal bacteria that can lead to diseases in humans. This time around, the European Union’s Environment Agency rated 82.8 percent of these bathing areas as “excellent,” while 92.6 percent met the minimum EU standards. And only 296 of the shower water – the equivalent of 1.3 percent – was of poor quality in 2020.
Legend:
Nothing stands in the way of bathing fun, like here on the R. Because the water quality is very good almost everywhere in Switzerland.
Keystone
“The quality of bathing water in Europe remains high, and this is good news for Europeans who will be looking to relax on beaches and other bathing resorts this summer,” said EU Commissioner for the Environment Virginius Sinkevicius.
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