Last year's statistics found that of France's roughly 3,500 swimming spots, 91 percent were classed as "excellent" or "good". The swimming holes are then ranked in a series of colours from excellent (blue) all the way through to pink, where swimming is prohibited. The Health Ministry has urged the French to be informed this summer before taking to the water. It added that regular monitoring made it possible to asses the effects of wastewater sanitation and dirty rainwater runoff into the country's swimming sites. "Knowing the quality of bathing water, whether saltwater or freshwater, is one way of preventing risks to bathers’ health," it said.

Source: The Local August 05, 2016 15:22 UTC