Publication Order of 15 April 2019 on artificial swimming waters

On 17 April 2019, the Decree of 15 April 2019 on the water quality analysis programme and the limits and quality references for artificial swimming was published in the JORF.
This text is intended for persons responsible for artificial bathing waters, municipalities, prefects and general managers of regional health agencies (RHAs).

According to Decree No. 2019-299 of 10 April 2019 on the safety of artificial swimming, “artificial swimming” means swimming whose water is kept in captivity, i.e. water separated from surface water or groundwater by development.
They can be artificially modified natural areas (water bodies, water holes, dead branches of rivers, etc.), artificially created areas (reservoir, pond, dam, gravel pit, etc.) or basins built of hard materials (tidal basins, seawater basins, concrete basins, swimming basins qualified as “biological”, etc.).

This new decree sets limits and references for the quality of bathing water and artificial bathing water as well as the procedures for carrying out health checks.

Quality limits and/or quality references have been set for the following parameters:
– Escherichia coli (NPP/100mL)
– Intestinal Enterococci (MPN/100mL)
– Pseudomonas aeruginosa (UFC/100mL)
– Staphylococcus aureus (UFC/100mL)
– Water transparency (meter)
– Total phosphorus expressed as P (µg/L) only on artificial swimming water in closed system
– Development of biofilms on all swimming surfaces
– Efflorescence of cyanobacteria (Cells/mL)

The following parameters must be analysed once before the start of the public opening season followed by bi-monthly analyses during the opening season:
– Escherichia coli (NPP/100mL)
– Intestinal Enterococci (MPN/100mL)
– Pseudomonas aeruginosa (UFC/100mL)
– Staphylococcus aureus (UFC/100mL)
– Water transparency (meter)
– Total phosphorus expressed as P (µg/L) only on artificial swimming water in closed system
– Development of biofilms on all swimming surfaces
– Temperature
– pH

Finally, cyanobacteria should be monitored on a monthly basis if the bathing profile has revealed a risk of proliferation.

For any information, do not hesitate to contact us.