Quality of Bathing Sites in Albania Revealed

TIRANA, June 7

The quality of bathing sites in Albania improved during the last year, yet the country was ranked below the European average.
In total, 67 out of 108 bathing sites at Albania’s coast, lakes and rivers and other water bodies monitored by the European Environment Agency (EEA) met the EU’s highest excellent quality for 2018. Moreover, 20 were classified as good, five as sufficient, and ten as poor (see below for the list of poor quality bathing sites).

Also, six inland bathing sites on the cost of Ohrid Lake were identified during 2018, but they were not given marks due to the lack of data.
The annual report drafted by EEA in cooperation with the European Commission shows data on the quality of bathing sites in 28 EU member countries, plus Albania and Switzerland.

“In Albania, 10 bathing water sites (or 9.3 %) were classified as poor, which is 2.5 percentage points fewer than in 2017. This also marks a significant reduction since 2015, when 31 bathing water sites (or 39.1%) were assessed as poor,” the report points out.
Moreover, it highlights that the improvement can be related to five wastewater treatment plants constructed in Albania in recent years, in Kavaja, Durres, Saranda, Shengjin, and Velipoja, which provide wastewater treatment for almost half a million residents and contribute to better bathing and overall water quality.

Poor quality bathing sites:

• Bistrica River Delta at Cuka Canal, Saranda
• The Old Beach (Plazhi i Vjeter) next to the port of Saranda
• Two bathing sites along Lungomare Promenade in Vlora
• Qerret in Kavaja
• Four bathing sites between Plepa and Shkembi i Kavajes in Durres
• The bathing site by the Sphinx monument in Durres

Cyprus, Malta, Austria, Greece, and Croatia made it to the top five of excellent quality bathing sites.

Read also:

Top 15 Best Beaches in Albania

Albania’s Best Secluded Beaches

News Source/Photo Credit: EEA