The indicator is a state indicator and refers to the impact of municipal wastewater on the quality of marine and coastal waters.

The General Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health conducts bacteriological monitoring activities in 35 provinces with marine and coastal waters everyyearduring the bathing season to protect the health of individuals and the public.

The number of monitored bathing areas in 2010 was 1,085, while in 2020 it was 1,402.

The “By Law on the Management of Bathing Water Quality Management”, prepared in accordance with Directive 2006/7/ EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, entered into force upon publication in the Official Gazette on 25.10.2019 undernumber 30899. While the parameters of total coliforms, fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci in bathing waters in our country were monitored before 2020, the parameters of intestinal enterococci and E.coli will be monitored according to the new By Law.

According to the monitoring results in 2019, 990 bathing sites (percent 74), 313 bathing sites were assessed as B-class (percent 24) and 29 bathing sites were assessed as C-class (percent 2). In 2019, there is no bathing site that can be designated as D class.

In 2020, out of 1402 monitored bathing sites, 1161 bathing sites were classified as Class A (percent 83), 184 bathing sites as Class B (percent 13), and 57 bathing sites as Class C (percent 4). In 2020, there is not a single bathing site that can be designated as Class D.

According to the new directive, although the EU classification report has changed in 2020, since the bathing area profiles have not been finalised and have not been integrated into the bathing water quality system of the Ministry of Health, the classification assessment for 2020 was based on the new By Law parameters and class values after the abolished By Law classification. While in 2019, percent 74 of the monitored bathing sites in our bathing waters belonged to class A, in 2020 this percentage increased to percent 83^[47].

GRAPH 74- CHANGE OF BATHING AREA QUALITY CLASSES (2010-2020)

GRAPH 75- QUALITY CLASSES ACCORDING TO THE REGIONS FOR 2020

Source: Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Public Health, 2021