What are the requirements of the 76/160/EEC Bathing Water Directive?
This Directive was one of the first agreed in Brussels and has two objectives:1. To improve or maintain the quality of amenity bathing waters 2. To protect public health.There are nineteen physical, chemical and microbiological parameters, thirteen of which have mandatory or guideline values. It is the main microbiological parameters that are considered for the Blue Flag. There are two standards:The guideline, or recommended, standards consider faecal coliform, total coliform and faecal streptococci:Total coliform no more than: 500 per 100 ml Faecal coliform no more than: 100 per 100 ml Faecal streptococci no more than: 100 per 100 mlTo achieve this overall result for a season 80% of all the samples (16 out of 20) must be equal to, or better than, the above standards for total and faecal coliform and 90% (18 out of 20) must be equal to, or better than, the above standard for faecal streptococci. The water must also comply with the legal minimum standard. It is this guideline standard t
