12 May 2025
The 2025 seawater sampling season starts on Tuesday 13 May and continues for 20
weeks ending on Tuesday 23 September 2025.
The sampling is carried out in a total of 16 bays with sampling at eight bays on Mondays
and eight bays on Tuesdays as required by the EU Bathing Water Directive that we
follow.
Each week the latest results are displayed in an interactive map which is updated
automatically. Please visit Seawater monitoring for more information.
New signs
Over the coming weeks we will be rolling out new signs at each sampling point in the
bays. The signs will display a QR code which allows easy access to the latest results.
We monitor seawater quality to:
- Measure compliance against the EU Bathing water directive
- Get valuable information for Islanders and tourists on the quality of seawater
- Identify episodes of pollution
- Provide information to other stakeholders including the Aquaculture Industry.
Different teams are involved in the monitoring process:
- Water & Air and Environment & Consumer Protection teams take the
samples
- Official Analyst’s laboratory carry out the analysis.
Since 2015 bathing water classifications throughout Europe are based on sampling
data collected over 4 years. Monitoring in Jersey started in 1992.
Although monitoring of seawater provides valuable public health data, it is only a
snap-shot of the water quality at the time of sampling and bathers enter coastal
waters at their own risk.
General public health advice is to avoid swimming for 48 hours following heavy
rainfall and to avoid seafoam if present. Sea foam forms naturally when waves agitate
organic matter in seawater, but may also contain substances that could be harmful to
health.
gov.je