Keeping close watch on our bays

When sea temperature hits 20°C, those who have been eagerly eyeing coastal waters plunge into the blue-green playground that wraps itself around these islands.

Others may wait for the water to warm up a little more before taking their first swim. By August a sea bathe does not feel so different from soup at a tepid 27°C.

When temperatures climb, bugs multiply, and the chances of bacterial infection rise as micro-biological safety limits are sometimes exceeded. The Environmental Health Unit (EHU) within the health ministry keeps a sharp eye on bathing water quality.

Monitoring sea pollution from sewage leaks or discharge in bathing areas is the domain of the Public Health Department during the 23-week summer bathing season.

This obligation is matched by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, tasked with monitoring sea pollution in bathing water from chemicals, heavy metals and other indicators.

Samples from the first two weeks of this season show a 'good' result for some swimming spots, although these could become problematic later on in the summer when the sea temperatures rise. 'Excellent' is five times better than 'good' in terms of faecal coliform counts and 10 times better than merely 'satisfactory'. A smiley chart breaks out into frowns when test results dip below the safety level.

Bathing spots likely to fluctuate in quality are already evident this year at Balluta, Buġibba, Mellieħa, Armier and Xagħjra. The sewage treatment plant for south Malta, plagued by delays and the risk of losing EU funds, is badly needed if Smart City is to smell fresh in an onshore wind. Infrastructural leaks are compounded by possible illegal discharge at areas where shantytown 'boathouses' have invaded the coast.

All other bathing sites have passed with flying colours in the first week of sampling. In the second week, three sites shifted slightly from 'excellent' status to 'good' but still compliant with European standards.

In 2005, Mepa was criticised by the EHU for misinterpreting the EU directive and monitoring only 47 bathing areas (40 sites fewer than the health unit) at less than the required frequency.

That year Mepa staff looked at bathing zones to assess water quality conditions subject to specific pressures linked to the summer tourist season. They checked if any odour, oily film, foam, tar residues, abnormal colour or floating material was present.

Sites at Marsascala, Marsaxlokk, Qawra, inner St Paul's Bay and the Magħtab coast were tested for the presence of oil, grease, detergent, phenols, heavy metals and cyanides. Marsalforn and Zewwieqa Bay, near the port of Mġarr were the test sites for Gozo.

Heavy metal cadmium, a natural component of seawater, can indicate industrial pollution if found in excessive quantities. One sample at Marsaxlokk was over the limit for cadmium.

But that year Mepa also left out Qui-si-Sana, Ġnejna, Little Armier, Mistra, and Salina Bay. Similarly, in Gozo the popular bays of Daħlet Qorrot, San Blas and Ħondoq ir-Rummien, monitored by the health unit for bacterial problems, did not make it to Mepa's test list. The private beach at Mġarr ix-Xini was among the sites tested for physico-chemical parameters but the public beach near the slipway was overlooked by the authority.

"Within the framework of the legal monitoring requirements under the bathing water regulations, in 2005 bathing sites were insufficiently monitored for a number of physico-chemical parameters," complained the health unit in its report for that year. After receiving a complaint from the European Commision, Mepa embarked on a more holistic monitoring programme and has resolved to improve reliability and sensitivity of instruments with lower detection limits.

The number of sampling sites tested by Mepa doubled in 2006 to include all 87 sites tested by the health unit. The authority recognises that while fresh, ground, surface and sea water are separately classified for management purposes they are all linked through the water cycle. Establishment of a monitoring network and public consultation were to have been completed in that year. By 2008 a draft water catchment management plan was to be presented and finalised by the end of the year. In 2010 pricing policies for water are to be introduced and environmental objectives should be met by 2015.

After repeated calls for monitoring data to be made available online, the public were appeased to see results for surface oil, foam and other indicators finally becoming accessible on the Mepa website. Starting this year, annual EHU reports to the European Commission can be viewed by the public at http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/mt/eu/bathing.

As we watch how our swimming bays are performing on water quality the coastline needs monitoring in another way. The latest planning application for an artificial beach has been received for the Qawra coast. With increasingly violent storms and the poor winter state of the Buġibba perched beach as a yardstick, careful consideration needs to be applied before altering natural coastlines.