Ispra and Marevivo

Balneability, 94.9 per cent of monitored marine waters are classified as 'excellent'

The results were presented by Ispra with the National System for Environmental Protection and the Marevivo association

by Davide Madeddu

4 June 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Percentages close to 100 per cent
Unclassified only 0.1%
Ispra President
The starting point
Unmonitored areas
Inland waters

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The trend of recent years is confirmed: more than 6,000 kilometres of coastline have excellent bathing waters. More specifically, out of a total of 6,242 kilometres of monitored coastline in Italia, 5,926 (equal to 94.9%) are classified as excellent, the highest quality provided for by European legislation. Outlining this scenario are the analyses conducted over the last four years by Ispra and the National System for Environmental Protection, which in the course of 2025, carried out about 30,000 samplings and monitored about 5,000 points between the sea, lakes and rivers, guaranteeing constant control of water quality.

Percentages close to 100%

According to the results presented by Ispra, Sistema Nazionale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente and Marevivo, all regions show very high percentages of coastline in excellent quality, with peaks close to 100%. The differences in values close to or above 90% are also attributable to the territorial characteristics of each region and the pressure exerted by coastal catchment areas.

Only 0.1% unclassified

Within this framework, only 207 kilometres (or 3.3% of the monitored coastline) are classified as being of good quality, 60 kilometres (or 1% of the monitored coastline) are of barely sufficient quality, and finally 41 kilometres (0.7%) are classified as being of poor quality, the lowest in the European classification system. To these must be added 8 kilometres (0.1%) that are not classified, as they have not yet reached a sufficient data set.

The President of Ispra

"The sea is one of our country's most precious assets. The results on the quality of bathing water are cause for satisfaction," says Maria Alessandra Gallone, president of Ispra and Snpa, "but they also remind us how important it is to continue investing in knowledge, monitoring, and the protection of marine ecosystems.

The starting point

Positive data that, as Snpa emphasises, should not be seen as a point of arrival but of departure since 'biodiversity, habitats, seabed quality, microplastics and climate change are equally strategic aspects to be monitored and protected for the future'.

In this scenario, as Marevivo president Rosalba Giugni emphasises, "the alliance between Ispra, Snpa and Marevivo takes on strategic value". "The protection of the sea and its biodiversity is a shared responsibility that - she adds - requires awareness, participation, and a widespread commitment to strengthen the culture of sustainability".

Unmonitored areas

As for the analyses, "the percentages do not include the unmonitored coastline, which regardless of the results of the sampling could not be used for bathing anyway, since it hosts ports, military facilities, river mouths, and protected marine areas". "The monitoring," continue the Snpa, "is carried out on the basis of the parameters that the regulations consider to be decisive in assessing the bathing suitability of the waters, as indicators of possible faecal contamination (Escherichia coli and intestinal Enterococci).

Inland waters are also good

Also under the researchers' lens were 673 kilometres of inland waters (lake and river waters). Of these, 624 kilometres are classified as excellent quality (92.7%), 28 kilometres as good quality (4.1%), 14 kilometres as sufficient quality (2.1%), 6 kilometres (0.9%) as poor quality, and 1 kilometre (0.2%) is unclassified. "Again," Snpa stresses, "in most regions, monitoring is by the Environment Agencies of the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, except in Lombardy and the province of Trento, where it is by the health system.