Swimming not recommended on Kyiv beaches

The Public Health Center of Ukraine has recommended avoiding swimming at all 14 official beaches in Kyiv. The statement was published on its official website on July 13.

The center found high levels of Escherichia coli on the beaches. Most commonly known as E. coli, it is an indicator bacteria used to identify fecal pollution that can be caused by humans, pets, or wildlife waste. Most strains of E. coli are harmless, but elevated levels, which is the case in Kyiv, could potentially make swimmers sick.

“On these beaches, we recommend installing signs prohibiting swimming,” the center wrote, adding that additional samples have been collected to do more testing.

The list of beaches includes Veselka, Venetsia, Zolotyi, Molodizhnyi, Peredmistna Slobidka, Tsentralnyi, Chortoryi, Troieshchynam Telbin, Raiduha, Verbne, Pushcha-Vodytsia, Halernyi. Most of them are located on the banks of the Dnipro River.

At two of them, Verbne and Pushcha-Vodytsia, the center also discovered some deviations in chemical parameters.

It’s not the first time E.coli has been found in Kyiv this summer. In late June, five of the city’s beaches were closed for the same reason.

Environmentalists said that the Dnipro River is on the verge of an ecological catastrophe. In June, more than 160 dangerous pollutants were found in the river. For the past 80 years, Dnipro has been facing significant unregulated chemical pollution that radically deteriorated the river’s ecosystem.