Paris, July 11, 2012.
Every morning this summer Veolia Water will be checking bathing water sanitary quality at 71 beaches in France
Bathing water quality at beaches varies according to a number of elements, such as tides, wet weather, wind, accidental wastewater discharge or temporary pollution.
To monitor bathing water sanitary quality and ensure vacationers can bathe safely, Veolia Water will check the quality of the water every morning at 67 beaches in the Mediterranean, including those at La Londe les Maures, Mandelieu, St. Tropez, Toulon, Hyères and Calvi, three beaches in the Manche département (Deauville, Dieppe and Boulogne sur Mer), and the beach at Perros-Guirec on the Atlantic coast.
The dynamic management system created by Veolia Water enables the water quality to be announced in just one hour, and any changes to it are known within 48 hours.
Beaches where the water quality is checked every morning
Nothing is more incomprehensible for vacationers than to find bathing prohibited when the weather is good and conditions are safe. To avoid this frustration, Veolia Water has designed a one-hour bathing water quality monitoring system.
Conventional analysis methods require 48 hours to give results. If a problem is discovered, the mayor must close the beach and wait for two days before reopening it. During a one-week holiday, that can mean two lost days of bathing for people on vacation.
The system implemented by Veolia Water at 71 beaches this summer combines one-hour water quality analysis, weather forecast analysis, remote monitoring of the wastewater collection system, and analysis of currents at beaches where they are strong (those in the Manche in particular).
Every morning, a Veolia Water technician takes a seawater sample and analyzes it. One hour later, the results are communicated to the Mayor's Office before the beach opens and are displayed at the lifeguard and first-aid stations.
If the sanitary quality is good, the beach is opened. If its quality has changed, bathing is temporarily prohibited and Veolia Water proceeds with further analyses every three hours.
At the same time, a seawater sample is taken and analyzed by the Regional Health Agency.
"The very reliable analysis methods we use are continuously compared with the conventional analyses carried out by the Regional Health Agencies. The method put in place at 71 French beaches this year really enables us to guarantee vacationers that the water they are going to bathe in is of good sanitary quality. It also enables mayors in seaside resorts to act very quickly if there is any temporary water pollution. There's no longer any need to wait 48 hours before being able to reopen the beach to bathing—we carry out analyses every three hours and as soon as the results show a return to normal, the beach can be opened."