ZERO Association concerned about the degradation of water quality on beaches

Despite an increase from 59 to 81 beaches classified as “ZERO Pollution Beaches” by the ZERO Association between 2024 and 2025, that is, 22 more beaches, and an increase in the number of beaches awarded the Blue Flag, rising from 398 to 404, that is, six more, between last year and this year, the data in the report released today by the European Environment Agency shows “an alarming trend”.

Based on analyses of bathing water quality in 2024, Portugal has a percentage of excellent quality bathing waters lower than the average for the European Union plus Albania and Switzerland (the report covers a total of 29 countries): 82.6 percent compared to an average of 85 percent.

However, for ZERO, the worst thing is the trend seen, as in the last four years we went from 88.5 percent in 2021 to 82.6 percent in 2024 (with 2022 and 2023 recording 84.8 percent and 86.2 percent, respectively).

It is in this sense that the Association is "concerned about the degradation of the quality of bathing water. We have tripled the number of beaches with poor quality and reduced the number of beaches with excellent quality by four percent", according to the press release sent to the Barlavento editorial office.

In 2023, Portugal considered 667 bathing waters for the purposes of water quality legislation, 575 of which presented excellent quality (86.2 percent) and three poor quality (0.4 percent).

In 2024, information now released, of a total of 673 bathing waters, 556 presented excellent quality (82.6 percent) - a decrease of almost four percent and nine presented poor water quality (1.4 percent) - a value three times higher and the highest in the last four years (2021 to 2024), even considering that this is a small number of beaches.

For ZERO, "this contrary trend, particularly marked with regard to the reduction of beaches with excellent quality, deserves an assessment by the Portuguese Environment Agency ( APA ) and the Regional Environment Directorates in the case of the Azores and Madeira, due to their responsibilities in the management of water resources."

“The drought may have reduced flow rates in inland bathing waters and aggravated any contamination present, given that five of the nine bad beaches were inland beaches,” reports the environmental association.

Of the nine bathing waters that were classified as “poor” in 2024, all are open for bathing except the Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo on the island of São Miguel in the Azores

Nine bathing waters that were in operation in 2024 received a “poor” rating for water quality. Five are inland bathing waters, showing greater vulnerability, as they represent a larger percentage (3 percent) compared to the total inland bathing waters (a total of 161), while four are coastal.

Of the nine bathing waters with “poor” quality, six are on the mainland, two in Madeira and one in the Azores. Only one of the nine beaches will not be open during the 2025 bathing season – the beach at Ilhéu de Vila Franca do Campo, in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo on the island of São Miguel in the Azores.

ZERO recommends that anyone who frequents these bathing areas pay particular attention to the information and warnings from the APA, given that their history shows a strong possibility of contamination problems.

This year, APA is making available a dedicated website, called InfoÁgua, available here .