Denmark's bathing waters at their cleanest in 20 yrs
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Xinhua, July 1, 2011
Nearly all of Denmark's lakes and most of its coastal waters are good for swimming because the spots are the cleanest they have been in almost two decades.
That's according to the 2010 Bathing Water Report by the European Environment Agency. The report, released earlier this month, says all 115 freshwater lakes, and 1,001 of Denmark's 1,054 coastal bathing spots meet strict water quality criteria.
Based on 2010 measurements, all of the Danish swimming sites sampled complied with safety levels for the E. coli bacteria, often the cause of food and water borne stomach infections, the report said.
"The main reason our bathing waters are doing so well is that our municipalities have strengthened efforts towards waste water treatment and renovation of sewage systems," said Karen Ellemann, Denmark's environment minister.
Overall, the Environment Agency report ranked Denmark 11th out of 27 EU countries sampled in the study.
Cyprus topped the list with 100 percent of its bathing water sites meeting quality standards. Cyprus was followed by Croatia, Malta, Greece and Ireland.
