Recreational User
Contamination of surface waters with faeces of human and non-human origin leads to
increased risk of human exposure to pathogenic microorganisms that can cause illness. Water
quality is monitored at designated bathing water sites throughout the bathing water season (15
May to 30 September) in accordance with the Bathing Water Directive. However, in general,
samples are not necessarily taken in all areas where recreation is taking place. Some
recreational waters are used all year round for a number of activities. These recreational
pursuits can result in considerable contact with water, and may be undertaken hundreds of
metres from the coast. Some sports are also permitted on waters that have been judged unsafe
for swimming, although research suggests these activities pose the same or greater level of risk
to human health (Dewailly et al., 1986; Turbow et al., 2008). Water sports such as surfing and
diving that involve full-body immersion have become more popular in recent years and wet/dry
suits allow these sports to continue all year round in temperate climates.
Recreational users of surface waters also have an important role to play in looking after the
aquatic environment, in particular disposing of their waste in the correct designated areas. In
consultations with some recreation and conservation groups, it has been suggested that these
groups would like simple indicator tools that allow them to test the quality of the water rapidly.
Spot samples of water however can over simplify the dynamics of water quality within inland
and coastal waters. The water environment changes very quickly and is very heterogeneous in
time and space. A sample of water taken from a river could be different depending on which
side of a river bend it is taken from; two samples from the same site taken an hour apart or
upstream and downstream of a tributary are obviously different water. Therefore samples must
represent the river under many conditions. Data collected throughout the AquaManche project
in the four study catchments in the France (Channel) England Region is representative of all
seasons over a two year period. Sampling sites are not only allocated to designated bathing
water sites, but were chosen to gain an insight into faecal inputs in each catchment.
The quality of water in the four AquaManche study catchments was monitored using chemophysical parameters, faecal indicator organisms (FIO) and using microbial source tracking (MST)
methodologies (discussed in further detail under the monitoring and microbial source tracking
sections of the ARMT).