Beach Bathing Water Quality Testing

Beach waters as recreational use is popular across the world, includes activities like swimming, diving and snorkelling etc. At beaches, the water quality criteria most widely used to make management decisions, such as issuing swim advisories and opening or closing beaches for tourism, bathing and water sports. In India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has classified coastal waters based on the types of uses and activities. All waters to be used for recreational purposes are classified as “SW II Waters”, and the quality criteria to be met.

NCSCM conducts monitoring of the beaches for Bathing Water Quality Parameters (Temperature, Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Oil and Pathogens) following the prescribed national/ international criteria for blue flag beaches/healthy beaches and a bathing water quality profile document is prepared. The bathing water profile document of the beach will help the users to make an informed choice before bathing and recreational activities.

The Bathing water profile document of an identified beach will include the following details: