It’s the holidays, the weather is nice, it’s hot and you are about to put on your prettiest swimsuit to dive into the nearest river or sea. But do you know the quality of this water ? The Ministry of Health provides dipping enthusiasts with a map of the water quality in real time for mainland France, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Réunion and Mayotte. Good news: more than 90% of the water bathing are of excellent or good quality for these territories. Only 3.1% of the sites were classified as of insufficient quality.
Bacteria, parasites or petroleum pellets
In total, more than 3,300 freshwater and seawater sites are monitored throughout the summer season. The Ministry of Health then puts the results of these tests online on the site bathing.sante.gouv.frin the form of an interactive map. Select the department of your vacation, the town, then the bathing site and you are informed about possible bacterial and microbiological pollution, the presence of amoeba, parasites, microscopic algae or even hydrocarbons (in the form of oil pellets for example). “These checks allow holidaymakers and people living near bathing areas to know the quality of the water from a sanitary point of view. They also allow health authorities to continuously monitor water quality and prevent risks to human health.“said the Ministry of Health in a press release.
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