SARS-CoV-2 and bathing waters

On 1 May 2020, the High Council of Public Health published a notice on the use of bathing waters and natural waters in the context of the Covid-19 crisis.

In the absence of currently available data on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in natural aquatic environments, the expert committee worked by analogy with existing data on other viruses.

Problems related to water from the sewerage network (breakage of lifting stations, etc.) or during rainstorm events (overflowing weirs) near bathing water can lead to the presence of bacteria or viruses in the water.

One possible symptom of this virus is the appearance of diarrhoea. Studies have shown that the SARS-CoV-2 genome can be found in the faeces of infected people without showing that it is infectious.

The High Council of Public Health recommends that :

• the respect of general physical distancing measures
• to pay particular attention to the monitoring of bathing water quality with regard to faecal contamination
• to increase the frequency of bathing water monitoring with at least one weekly analysis of e.coli and enterococcal parameters. The health monitoring of the water must be carried out before the opening of the site.

Phytocontrol proposes to accompany you in your control plan by carrying out the sampling and analysis of e.coli and enterococci under accreditation and according to the regulations in force.

Do not hesitate to contact our customer service dedicated line +33 800 900 775 or by email service-clients@phytocontrol.com.