The Scottish Government

Legislation

Measures to improve the quality of bathing waters have been driven by the requirements of the current Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC). It set a range of parameters, microbiological, chemical and physical, by which compliance was to be measured and ultimately achieved.

To take account of lessons learned with the implementation of the existing Directive, coupled with developments in science and knowledge about the potential water borne health risks to bathers, a revised Directive (2006/7/EC) came into force in 2006. It simplifies the number of parameters to be tested, and establishes a clear timetable - 2015 - by which time all Scottish bathing waters must comply with the Directive's standards.

Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC)

The current Directive was transposed through the Bathing Waters (Classification) (Scotland) Regulations 1991

Revised Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC)

The revised Directive has been transposed through the Bathing Waters (Scotland) Regulations 2008 and The Bathing Waters (Sampling and Analysis) (Scotland) Directions 2008