Hygienic stations have been checking water quality at natural swimming spots since the beginning of June. They monitor the environment, water transparency, and the presence of algae. While swimming in natural waters is a popular summer activity, it may carry health risks. To avoid them, experts recommend checking an online water quality map. Smiley faces will tell you how safe the water is.
One of the monitored locations is the Old Živohošť by the Slapy reservoir, a popular recreational destination. It is also one of the roughly forty bathing spots monitored by the Hygienic Station of the Central Bohemian Region during the summer season from June to August. They focus mainly on freely accessible spots that do not have their operator to perform water tests.
Water Quality Monitoring System in the Czech Republic
Hygienic stations have been checking water quality at natural swimming spots since the beginning of June. They monitor the environment, water transparency, and the presence of algae. To avoid health risks, experts recommend checking an online water quality map. Smiley faces will tell you how safe the water is.
The five-point scale starts with a blue smiley face, indicating that the water is safe with no health risks. The green smiley face means the water is still safe but has deteriorated properties. The orange smiley face indicates a worse water quality and an increased probability of health problems. The red smiley face means that the water is unsuitable for swimming, and the black smiley face denotes dangerous water.
How to Use the Smiley Faces
People may not be familiar with all the indicators monitored by the hygienic stations, so the overall evaluation is presented through smiley faces showing the water quality. These smiley faces are easy to understand, even for those who do not read Czech. The five-point scale starts with a blue smiley face, indicating that the water is safe with no health risks. The green smiley face means the water is still safe but has deteriorated properties. The orange smiley face indicates a worse water quality and an increased probability of health problems. The red smiley face means that the water is unsuitable for swimming, and the black smiley face denotes dangerous water.
The monitoring system operates throughout the Czech Republic, and hygienic stations use the same scale to evaluate water quality.
How to Test Water Quality on Your Own
You can use a simple and quick test with a transparent PET bottle to check the water quality. Fill the bottle with water from the location and let it stand for half an hour in the sun. If the water is primarily algae, the color of the water column is still uniformly green. If algae are in excess, a green circle forms around the water column within half an hour. Whether or not the algae are toxic can only be determined by laboratory analysis, but this test can give you quick information about whether algae are in the water.
Water Quality Monitoring in the Středočeský Region
According to the results of the tests conducted two weeks ago, the season in the Středočeský Region started excellently. Only four locations were assessed with the green smiley face, indicating the water quality was slightly worse. Prominent sites such as Orlík or Slapy have blue smiley faces, and it is assumed that the water quality is still excellent.