In a statement, ZERO - Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável reveals that the objective achieved this year “is truly what is desired on a European scale within the framework of the European Ecological Pact, in particular within the scope of the Action Plan for Zero Pollution”.

The Azores have 21 Zero Pollution beaches, 36% of the total, with the municipalities of São Roque do Pico, in the Azores, and Vila do Bispo, on the mainland, having the largest number of beaches – four – recognised.

Alcobaça, Aljezur, Faro, Lajes do Pico, Odemira, Porto Santo, Sesimbra, Tavira, and Vila do Porto (Santa Maria, Azores), with three, are also among the leading municipalities in the number of Zero Pollution beaches, according to the association.

This year, Zero Pollution beaches represent 9% of the total of 664 existing bathing waters, an increase of 1%, that is, five more beaches compared to the 54 classified in 2023.

All beaches considered last year as Zero Pollution beaches are classified, under the legislation, as beaches with “excellent” water quality, however, ZERO warns that “in most cases, at the expense of a single analysis where there was once the presence of microorganisms detected, even if very far from the limit value, they could no longer be considered Zero Pollution beaches”.

Positive

On a positive note, the environmental association highlights the fact that this year there will be 21 Zero Pollution Beaches in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, more than a third of the total (36%).

“Another relevant aspect is that for the first time, there are two inland beaches classified as Zero Pollution beaches – Santa Clara, in Odemira, and Devesa, in Sabugal”, the note reads.

Nine municipalities - Calheta, Lajes do Pico, Leiria, Machico, Pombal, Ponta Delgada, Povoação, Sabugal and Santa Cruz da Graciosa - also became part of the municipalities with at least one Zero Pollution beach.

According to the environmental association, in the negative, there is the highlight of the municipality of Albufeira which, “despite having twenty-five beaches that should be validated with an excellent classification” in terms of water quality, had its six beaches Zero Pollution 2023 removed from the list this year due to “at least one analysis on each of these beaches that had an extremely low upper value, but greater than zero”.

In terms of balance, 19 beaches left last year's list, and 24 new ones were added, reveals ZERO.

A Zero Pollution beach is one where no microbiological contamination was detected in the analyses carried out on the bathing water over the last three bathing seasons.

Environmentalists point out that it is “extremely difficult” to achieve an unharmed record over three years in interior bathing areas, “much more susceptible to microbiological pollution”.