Hundreds of thousands of tourists choose Croatia each summer for its clear Adriatic waters, with the quality of the sea regularly monitored at beaches across the country.
On Croatia’s southern coast, teams from public health institutions carry out systematic testing throughout the bathing season, with 127 beaches currently included in the monitoring programme.
Sampling takes place every 14 days, meaning each beach is tested around 10 times a year. If pollution is detected, testing is carried out daily until the problem has been resolved.
During the latest testing cycle, around 720 samples had been analysed. Dolores Grilec, head of the environmental department at the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), tells HRT that approximately 97% of locations were rated excellent, 1.4% good, 1% satisfactory and just 0.4% unsatisfactory.
Sanitary technician Miro Pavlović explained that samples must be collected according to strict procedures. Water is taken around one metre from the shoreline, where the sea is approximately one metre deep, with the sample collected about 20 centimetres below the surface.
Back at the public health institute, the samples undergo laboratory analysis. One of the key parameters tested is Escherichia coli, which is used as an indicator of faecal contamination.
Bathers can also report suspected pollution themselves, including through QR codes displayed at beaches.
Croatia’s monitoring system is also notable for the speed with which results are made available. Grilec said that while some other EU countries publish information on bathing water quality, this is often based on annual assessments. In Croatia, current results can be available within 48 hours, providing information on the latest sample.
Results are monitored and compared across four bathing seasons, producing an overall assessment of the quality of Croatia’s coastal waters.
The latest figures indicate that the vast majority of monitored locations on the southern Croatian coast continue to meet the highest quality standard.
Source: www.croatiaweek.com
