Every year, the European Commission publishes a report on bathing water quality, which is issued before the start of the next bathing season. In the 2023 report, 252 (96.9 %) of the 260 Austrian bathing sites were rated "excellent", 7 bathing sites (2.7 %) were rated "good", one bathing site (0.4 %) was rated "sufficient". 

Report: European bathing water quality 2023

Interactive bathing water map Europe

Bath dermatitis

Higher water temperatures are not only pleasant for humans, water snails can also reproduce better in them - and in the water snails also cercariae, microscopic parasites that can lead to itching and rashes in humans, to so-called bath dermatitis.

Cercariae (fork-tailed larvae) are larvae of sucking worms. They develop in aquatic snails and are subsequently excreted in large quantities. They are found in both freshwater and saltwater, mainly in shallow shorelines. In water, they survive only one day, so they must enter waterfowl quickly to complete their development cycle. Humans are only "unintentionally" infested; the parasites die quickly in the skin. However, they can trigger an immune reaction that leads to itching and skin rashes, bath dermatitis.

The initial infection is often asymptomatic (= without signs of illness) and remains undetected. If symptoms occur, they are usually mild and quickly subside. However, if a person is infected several times by cercariae, itching, redness and wheals may occur, some of them severe. In most cases, bath dermatitis subsides after one to two weeks at the most.

The presence of cercariae does not mean that the water quality is poor. Suitable water snails must be present for the formation of cercariae to occur at all. In Austria, the occurrence of bath dermatitis was first described in the late 1960s; since then, cercariae associated with cases of bath dermatitis have been documented in individual water bodies in all provinces. Chlorinated water, e.g., in a public swimming pool or outdoor pool, does not pose a risk for bathing dermatitis.

Cyanobacteria ("algae bloom")

When it's hot, cooling down does you good. But caution is needed in some ponds, pools, etc: High water temperatures and nutrient levels can cause a rapid proliferation of cyanobacteria, the so-called "algal bloom." Cyanobacteria, colloquially called "blue-green algae," are not true algae, but bacteria and natural components of surface waters.

Signs of cyanobacteria in the water are:

• bluish-green turbidity of the water
• streaking
• "algae carpets" on the water surface ("pea soup")
• limited visibility depth of less than 1 meter

Cyanobacteria can produce toxins (poisons) that can be fatal to dogs, such as when they lick patches of algae from their fur or eat the rotting algal material on the shore.If large amounts of water are swallowed by humans or enter the respiratory tract, nausea, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, collapse, or paralysis may occur. Absorption of cyanotoxins through the skin is unlikely, but skin irritation, inflammation, or allergic reactions may occur. More serious health consequences represent gastrointestinal inflammation, respiratory diseases and liver damage.

The EU bathing waters are regularly checked hygienically and, in case of suspicion, also tested for cyanotoxins. However, smaller bathing lakes and swimming ponds are not always sampled. If a water body is suspected of showing an accumulation of cyanobacteria, water samples can be tested for cyanotoxins by us at a charge.

WHO cyanotoxin guideline values:

• Microcystins: 24 μg/L
• Cylindrospermopsins: 6 μg/L
• Anatoxins: 60 μg/L
• Saxitoxins: 30 μg/L

Tips:

• Do not bathe if you cannot see your feet because of a greenish-bluish haze
• Beware of water sports where a lot of water can be swallowed
• Shower and clean your swimwear
• Also watch out for your children and pets