If the Italian sea continues to stand out for the quality of its waters, lakes and rivers also offer an extremely encouraging picture. In fact, updated data from the National System for Environmental Protection (SNPA) show that the vast majority of internal waters intended for bathing reach very high quality levels.
Out of a total of 673 kilometers of monitored internal waters, 624 kilometers fall into the excellent quality category, the highest classification required by European legislation. This is 92.7% of the entire national monitoring network dedicated to lakes and waterways. Numbers that testify to the effectiveness of environmental control activities and the good health of most of the Italian aquatic ecosystems intended for bathing.
National photography of lake and river waters
The analysis carried out by the national system highlights how almost all of the monitored areas present favorable conditions for bathers. Alongside the 624 kilometers classified as excellent, another 28 kilometers are of good quality, equal to 4.1% of the total. The waters considered sufficient instead reach 14 kilometres, corresponding to 2.1%.
The share of the most problematic situations is very limited: just 6 kilometers were classified as poor quality, equal to 0.9% of the internal waters monitored. Finally, only 1 kilometer is still unclassified due to the absence of a sufficiently large historical series of data.
Many 100% excellent waters
At the top of the ranking of lake and river waters classified as excellent are Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the autonomous province of Bolzano, the autonomous province of Trento, Tuscany, Umbria and Veneto, all at 100.0%. Followed by Lazio with 97.7% and Marche with 93.7%, while further away are Lombardy at 86.7%, Abruzzo at 83.4% and Piedmont at 68.2%. As mentioned, the overall national figure still remains high: 92.7% of the internal waters monitored fall into the excellent class, with a very limited share of sufficient, poor or not yet classified sections.
The ranking with the best bathing waters
Below is the ranking of regions and provinces with excellent rivers and lakes with percentages:
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia 100.0%
Autonomous Province of Bolzano 100.0%
Autonomous Province of Trento 100.0%
Tuscany 100.0%
Umbria 100.0%
Veneto 100.0% - Lazio 97.7%
- Marches 93.7%
- Lombardy 86.7%
- Abruzzo 83.4%
- Piedmont 68.2%
Constant checks throughout the bathing season
Behind these results there is a widespread monitoring system that involves the regional environmental agencies and the competent structures present in the area. In almost all Italian regions, controls are carried out by environmental agencies, while in Lombardy and in the autonomous province of Trento, monitoring is entrusted to the health system.
The checks are carried out periodically throughout the bathing season through sampling which allows the identification of any microbiological contamination. The main parameters analyzed are Escherichia coli and intestinal Enterococci, considered fundamental indicators of water quality.
Safety and prevention at the center of the system
The control activity is not limited to simple annual classification. In the event of anomalies or exceeding the limits set by European legislation, the results are immediately transmitted to local administrations, which can quickly adopt protective measures.
These include any temporary bathing bans, necessary to guarantee the safety of citizens until optimal conditions are restored. In addition to microbiological checks, further investigations can be carried out to identify the presence of pollutants or potentially problematic natural phenomena, confirming the constant attention dedicated to the protection of Italian internal waters.
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