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The initial Bathing Water Directive reflected the state of European populations, scientific knowledge and policy experience of the early 1970s. Patterns of bathing water use have changed since then, as has the state of scientific and technical knowledge. As a result, a revised version of the Bathing Water Directive (2006) came into force in 2006, addressing all surface water sites where a large number of people are expected to bathe during the season suitable for bathing. This designation does not include swimming pools, confined waters subject to treatment, or artificially created confined waters separated from surface water and groundwater. All EU Member States are subject to this legislation, whilst an additional two (Albania and Switzerland) are part of the European bathing water monitoring network. The revised BWD uses the latest scientific evidence in implementing the most reliable indicator parameters for predicting microbiological health risk for designated bathing waters, and simplifies its management and surveillance methods. The resulting information is presented to the public in a variety of interactive and accessible ways, allowing people to find clean bathing waters, and to receive timely notifications of water quality deteriorations and health risks.