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Indicator code: RPG1_WatSan_S1
During the monitoring period bathing water quality had improved in almost each region in Slovakia. In comparison to the corresponding EC directive 76/160/EEC on bathing water quality, the national indicators for bathing water in freshwater zones have stricter legislative values. Nevertheless, when bathing water quality had been evaluated in Slovakia in 2004, many unacceptable cases had been reported. The reason for that turned out to be insufficient water-sampling, caused by the reconstruction of freshwater zones when the samples weren’t abstracted from the concrete bathing locality. In many cases freshwater zones did not fulfill mandatory requirements of the Bathing water Directive since proper water sampling was impossible in those areas.
In the recent past bathing water quality became endangered because of wastewater pollutants from adjacent recreational buildings, as many private recreational weekend cottages are not connected to sewerage systems. Often cesspit and septic are not sufficiently separated, or an earth closet is close to a bathing water locality. Sewage disposal plants, particularly in small villages, constitute some risks. A source of microbiological pollution of bathing areas is usually the inflows, which flow through villages without public sewerage systems.
From 2004 to 2006 the bathing water quality has improved, however the number of declared bathing areas decreased from 67 to 38. In the same period, the percentage of areas not fulfilling mandatory requirements dropped significantly from 31.3% in 2004 to 5% in 2006, and insufficiently sampled areas decreased from 16% to 0%.
Bathing water requirements are defined in the Slovakian Water Act (national act number 364/2004); about changes in act under National Board of the Slovak republic number 372/1990 about transgression in version advanced regulation. Basic requirements on bathing water quality are also defined in paragraph 19 of the Act on protection, support and development of public health (355/2007). There are important differences between that regulation and the Slovakian Water Act (see www.uvzsr.sk).
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