Swedish waters cleaner than normal

The quality of Swedish waters has never been as high before, according to a report by the Swedish Institute of Infectious Disease Control (Smittskydsinstitutet – SMI).

“There is currently an indication of a better swimming summer that last year. It has been a very calm and stable summer. When it rains there is usually a worse result,” said Görel Allestam at the institute to the Dagens Nyheter.

The warm weather is cited as one reason for the improvement as plentiful rain carries a risk that water treatment works let raw sewage past through leading to reduced quality.

Municipalities across the country are required to analyze water quality at bathing sites with more than 200 visitors and to report their finding to the institute.

In 2009 93.8 percent of tests were approved.