Take a refreshing dive in additional swimming locations
The swimming legislation in Flanders regulates where you can swim in open water. Earlier this year, this legislation was relaxed based on a comparative study conducted by Sweco. This has resulted in an increase in swimming areas, providing a welcome cooling option during hot summer days.
In 2021, Sweco conducted a study on swimming and recreational activities in surface water and green-blue networks. Our study compared the rules and approaches to open water between European countries and made recommendations for the adaptation of legislation. Colleagues from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark contributed to this research.
More space for open water swimming
On February 23, 2024, the Flemish government gave its final approval to the decision to amend VLAREM II regarding open water swimming. This decision paves the way for additional swimming locations and grants local authorities the authority to designate new locations within their territory.
The revised legislation eliminates a series of conditions for recognizing an area as a swimming zone. Obligations such as providing showers, sanitary facilities, shower cabins, and fire extinguishers are no longer applicable. The criteria for the bottom of the water, such as a sandy substrate and maximum slope, are also being revised.
Free swimming zone
The legislation introduces a new category of swimming water: the free swimming zone. Local authorities can use this category to designate additional locations. Three requirements must be met: water quality testing, permission from the owner or manager, and a risk assessment approved by the Department of Health and Care. There is now also a platform where local authorities can register their locations. Before a location can be used as a ‘Free swimming zone’, an environmental notification is required.
No complete deregulation
There have been previous calls to allow swimming at one’s own risk throughout Flanders, following the example of the Netherlands. However, the government notes that in 2020, there were more drowning incidents in the Netherlands than in Flanders, even per million inhabitants. Due to safety and water quality reasons, the Flemish government sees complete deregulation as a step too far.
What’s next?
This summer, we can already enjoy more swimming water thanks to the relaxation of the legislation. Sweco is also contributing to the next phase of this story: the development of a risk analysis guide for open swimming water for municipalities. We will take care of the location determination in this process.
