Environmental Agency

Environmental Monitoring and Control

Routine sampling is carried out of potable water, coastal waters, swimming pools and air for various pollutants and contaminants. The quality of our bathing waters is carefully monitored and analysed from April to October as specified in EC directives and our Public Health(Quality of Bathing Waters) Rules. Samples are taken from Eastern Beach, Catalan Bay, Sandy Bay, Little Bay, Camp Bay and Western Beach. The results for the Gibraltar beaches are published at the European Commission website together with all other European beaches:

Bathing Water Quality Annual Report 1998 - including Gibraltar

Bathing Water Quality - Gibraltar 1998

Public swimming pools are checked regularly to ensure the water quality is safe for bathing bacteriologically and chemically. Private swimming pools are sampled on request and advice given on methods of disinfection and water quality maintenance.

There is an ongoing programme which started in 1974 which monitors the air at two points in town 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for sulphur dioxide and suspended particulates which are linked to fossil fuel combustion.

Measurements for 1998 were :

Percentage of readings of SO2
DTI Garage

EA office

under 100 ugm-3

100-150 ugm-3

over 150 ugm-3

99.5%

0.5%

0%

100%

0%

0%

WHO standard requires 98% of readings to be below 200 ugm-3
Percentage of readings of suspended particulates
DTI Garage

EA office

under 100 ugm-3

100-150 ugm-3

over 150 ugm-3

100%

0%

0%

100%

0%

0%

WHO standard requires 98% of readings to be below 120 ugm-3
Annual Geometric Means
S02

Smoke

1.7 ugm-3

39.9 ugm-3

 

 

World Health Organisation standard - Visibility and/or human annoyance at 80 ugm-3 for both pollutants.

With over three hundred ships a day passing through the Straits of Gibraltar and the busy activities in the Bay we are under the constant threat of pollution as a result of an oil spill. The Agency plays a central role together with the Fire and Port Departments in co-ordinating and executing the oil spill response plan for dealing with such incidents.

Another often overlooked pollutant but one which is all around us is noise which has its own particular effects on our environment and health. Noise pollution is on the increase due to our lifestyle of powerful cars, motorcycles, aircraft, hi-fi systems, air conditioning units etc. Noise levels surveys are carried out, usually as a result of a complaint to the Agency, and an Abatement Notice may be served if the nuisance is deemed to exist. This may require the person or premises causing the excessive noise to either stop producing the noise or carry out sound insulation or other works to reduce the noise transmitted.

 

 
Last Revised : 20 September 1999