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Box 1: Successful water policy synergy: the case of Lacuisine (Belgium)

For many years, the Walloon Region in Belgium permanently prohibited bathing at the Lacuisine bathing water on the Semois River due to ‘poor’ bathing water quality. Such prohibition of (or advice against) bathing is prescribed by the BWD to protect human health and to encourage management of the underlying issues that affect environmental quality.

Between 2012 to 2016, numerous measures were undertaken in order to improve the quality of bathing water at Lacuisine. These included improved urban drainage, the construction of a wastewater treatment plant and a collector built in the upstream protection zone, the establishment of pasture bank fences in upstream area, and controlling storm water overflows on the bathing area. These measures were designed and implemented in the framework of the holistic approach provided by the WFD. Together, they worked to substantially improve the quality of water at Lacuisine.

After six years of water quality management, Lacuisine was re-opened for bathing in 2018.