With the approach of the great summer swimming season, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) Occitanie, departmental delegation of Aude, carried out its bathing point as every year. It presented the results of its samples taken at the 40 sites in Aude on the quality of bathing water, which proved to be favourable.
The summer looks promising for the Aude department: the results of the 392 samples taken in the 11 freshwater bathing areas and the 29 sea areas controlled by the Aude Regional Health Agency (ARS), reveal a quality “excellent” waters, except the lake of Cavayère classified “good quality”. Something to reassure officials for the approaching summer period. The latter will take place from June 15 to September 15 for sea bathing areas, and for freshwater areas from July 1 to August 31. With regard to the lake of Cavayère, it is the town hall which will give the opening period.
Warning about dryness
Global warming has an impact on bathing areas: as the water level decreases due to drought and increases the proliferation of bacteria, including cyanobacteria, it cannot be ruled out that some bathing areas will suddenly be closed during the summer. The ARS regularly takes samples from each of the bathing sites to check the instantaneous quality of the water. The agency works with the Carso laboratory, on the basis of a public contract. In summer, two samplers are mobilised, one for the sea and the other for fresh water. The sampling schedule is established upstream so that they can organize themselves.
The degradation of water causes risks of poisoning, infections, diseases: “This is a major challenge for the Audois who want to enjoy their territory, but also for tourists who come to relax”, expresses the director general of ARS Occitanie, Didier Jaffre. He adds : “We must offer them impeccable water quality, and that they do not return home sick”. “Last year, we did not experience any downgrading of fresh water so we are crossing our fingers that it will be the same this year. There has never been a closure due to drought. Lac de la Cavayère , last year, was closed because the water was too murky and therefore dangerous for swimmers, but it was the only black spot in the department”, says Isabelle Boscariol, sanitary technician in the water unit. A prevention campaign “Beautiful summer, good reflex”, on health education will be found on the La Région website and on tourist sites.
Awareness of the risk of drowning
“Drowning is one of the leading causes of death among people under 25”, reveals Colonel Sylvain Besson, deputy departmental director of the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS) of Hérault. He pursues : “We are actors in the surveillance of swimming and nautical activities in the various departments in Occitania. The region, and in particular the Aude, is a very attractive area so vigilance is increased: training in first aid can save lives .” Didier Jaffre bounces on these words: “Everyone is concerned. People who bathe when the sites are closed must be made aware because they put themselves in unnecessary danger. Common sense must be adopted to avoid putting themselves in danger, as well as the first aiders.”
“Bathing areas generally close for safety reasons related to drought or the risk of drowning, but not necessarily because of the quality of the water”, says Isabelle Boscariol, sanitary technician at the Water Cell. Carole Estabes, engineer in sanitary studies and head of the Water Unit, continues: “The impact is planned and anticipated through bathing profiles which are vulnerability profiles, the responsible person can anticipate these risks and thus preventatively close his area.”
Aude differs from Hérault
“We are lucky to be in a department where the bathing areas are of good quality” , says Isabelle Bouscariol. Aude is one of the main departments to have bathing areas qualified exclusively as “excellent”, except for one qualified as “good”. The Hérault in particular is, on the contrary, subject to temporary contamination, which leads to occasional bathing bans mainly caused by drought, pollution and global warming.