The Algarve has 11 ZERO pollution beaches. Tavira, with four beaches, is the Algarve county with the most bathing areas distinguished with the award, awarded by ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável.
Although the Algarve has maintained the same number of distinguished bathing areas, there were changes in the awarded beaches, according to the list released this Saturday, the day the bathing season begins.
In the municipality of Aljezur, there were no changes and the beach at Vale Vigueiras, which had already been selected last year, maintains the distinction.
The county of Faro, which has three ZERO pollution beaches, "won" two compared to last year. In 2019, only Barreta beach had been distinguished by ZERO. Now, in 2020, also Culatra-mar and Ilha do Farol-mar guaranteed the award.
In the case of Tavira, Barril beach joins those of Cabanas-mar, Ilha de Tavira-mar and Terra Estreita, which were already ZERO pollution in 2019.
Vila do Bispo, on the other hand, “lost” two bathing areas with this distinction, but won one, compared to 2019. Castelejo and Cordoama beaches kept the award and Martinhal, which was not distinguished last year, will have the ZERO pollution beach seal.
However, the beaches of Almádena-Cabanas Velas, Boca do Rio and Burgau are not included in the list published by ZERO in 2020.
According to the environmental association responsible for the award, a ZERO pollution beach “is one in which no microbiological contamination was detected in the analyzes carried out on the bathing waters over the last three bathing seasons”.
In 2020, there are, in Portugal, 68 beaches with ZERO pollution, all coastal. This number represents 11% of the total 621 bathing areas in operation in the country.
Compared to last year, 24 more beaches were classified.
At national level, the municipalities with the highest number of ZERO pollution beaches are Torres Vedras, which repeats the good classification of the previous year with 10 ZERO pollution beaches, also in the West zone, Peniche with 5 and Angra do Heroísmo, in the Azores, also with 5.
Based on data requested from the Portuguese Environment Agency, the ZERO Association «identified the beaches that, over the last three bathing seasons (2017, 2018 and 2019), not only always had an “Excellent” rating, but also presented values of zero or less than the limit of detection in all analyzes performed on the two controlled microbiological parameters provided for in legislation (Escherichia coli and intestinal Enterococci)».
This means that "in all the analyzes carried out there was not even the detection of any colony forming unit".
The association explains that three years are considered “as it corresponds to the minimum period usually required by Directive 2006/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2006, on the management of the quality of bathing water, to proceed with the classification of the quality of the bathing area'.
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