It is safe to swim at all public beaches in Vaasa: the latest water samples show good quality

On 23 June 2025, the City of Vaasa’s Environmental Department took bathing water samples from the beaches at Ahvensaari, Hietasaari, Kustaanlinna, Mansikkasaari, Strömsö, Isolahti, Kronvik, Paratiisisaari, Vikinga, the southern and northern beaches in Merikaarto, the Vaskiluoto camping site, and Säivänkangas in Laihia.

The bathing water samples at all tested beaches met the required quality standards, and no blue-green algae was detected. The water temperatures ranged between 15 and 17 degrees Celsius.

In Vaasa and Laihia, the water quality of beaches is monitored during the bathing season from 15 June to 31 August 2025. The next sampling dates are 14 July and 4 August.

Swimming is not prohibited at any of the beaches

On 20 June, the European Environment Agency published its bathing water report, which classifies the water quality at the Ahvensaari and Hietasaari beaches as poor. The classification is based on monitoring carried out during the 2021–2024 bathing seasons. The classification is the result of a long-term calculation and does not reflect the water quality on a single day or based on a single result. The bathing water quality classification is updated at the end of each season based on monitoring from that year’s bathing season.

The bathing water quality classification for Ahvensaari and Hietasaari bathing waters has declined due to elevated bacterial levels detected during the 2021–2024 bathing seasons. During the monitoring period, only a few water samples showed bacterial levels exceeding the action thresholds set by legislation. However, these individual peaks alone do not fully explain the decline in the quality classification. Bacterial levels in the water are influenced by factors such as water temperature and water circulation.

– Swimming is not prohibited at these two beaches. A beach is only closed if its classification has been poor for five consecutive years. However, a beach may be temporarily closed if a single water sample reveals bacterial levels exceeding the action limits set by legislation, says Maarit Kantola, Health Engineer at the City of Vaasa’s Environmental Department.

Swimming at Ahvensaari and Hietasaari is not recommended immediately after rainfall

Water samples are regularly taken from the beaches according to a set schedule, and the results are closely monitored.

It is still safe to swim at the beaches at Ahvensaari and Hietasaari, but swimming is not recommended immediately after rainfall. This information is posted on the notice boards at the beaches.

– Barnacle geese frequent these beaches, and their droppings may wash into the sea during rainfall. The Green Spaces Unit cleans the beaches daily, and this summer five trained dogs are also helping to deter the geese from the beaches, says Kantola.

Additionally, this summer bacterial levels will be tested in five stormwater pipes and two ditches near the beaches, as well as in the Tuovilanjoki River, to identify possible sources of contamination. A summary of these results will be available in early autumn.

You can report bathing water quality issues via the Environmental Health Service’s online reporting service. You can report:

• any illness or other reaction you suspect was caused by the bathing water.
• any issue or defect you have noticed in the bathing water.