Contract Signed for the Monitoring of Bathing Water Quality in Crete (2025–2029)
Today, the Secretary of the Decentralized Administration of Crete, Ms. Maria Kozyraki, signed a project contract with the Contractor Consortium “CHIMIKOTECHNIKI – EMBIS,” represented by Ms. Maria Spantidaki, chemist, for the implementation of the action “Monitoring of Bathing Water Quality in the Region of Crete for the years 2025–2029,” in accordance with European Directive 2006/7/EC.
The project is funded by the sectoral program ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE 2021–2027 of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance.
The subject of the contract is the sampling and laboratory analysis of seawater to monitor the quality of bathing waters along the coasts of Crete during the five-year bathing season period (from this year through 2029). The objective is to protect the marine environment and safeguard public health. Specifically, monitoring results will be delivered for 177 designated bathing water sites, distributed across the island’s coastline. At each site, seawater sampling will be carried out monthly from May to October each year.
Through monthly sampling and laboratory analyses, qualitative data will be assessed, enabling the activation of specific protocols and crisis management procedures by competent authorities (Decentralized Administration, local government), in cases where the results indicate temporary or short-term pollution events that may have serious implications for public health and swimmers.
Sampling and analysis data for each of the 177 beaches in Crete will be published as open geospatial data on the website of the Decentralized Administration of Crete [https://data.apdkritis.gov.gr], as well as on the “Bathing Waters in Crete” application. This application is updated annually, starting June 1st with the beginning of the bathing season, and provides useful information on the characteristics of each beach and the quality of its bathing waters.
The implementation of the contract constitutes a key initiative of the Decentralized Administration of Crete, as the monitoring and assessment of bathing water quality—via the Ministry of Environment’s registry of bathing water profiles—is a prerequisite for the official classification of bathing waters at the national level and an obligation of Greece towards the European Union.