La Lesse À Houyet

Belgium River 3 - Sufficient

The Lesse at Houyet (I16) is a bathing water zone located in the Lesse sub-basin within the International Meuse River District. The bathing area has a beach length of 23 metres and the river has an average width of 17 metres with minimum depth of 50 centimetres and maximum depth of 75 centimetres. The riverbed is characterised by pebbles. The water exhibits recurring contamination problems responsible for the closure of the zone for many years, having been declared compliant only twice in the past 20 years (2003 and 2005).

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Water

River. Average width 17 metres. Minimum depth 50 centimetres. Maximum depth 75 centimetres. Pebble riverbed. Part of the Lesse sub-basin and the International Meuse River District hydrographic mass.

Location

The zone is situated at an altitude of 130 metres. The official bathing water designation was made on 24 July 2003. European code: 527100009000000I16.

Water Quality

Water quality classification: Recurring contamination problems with systematic closure. Compliant status achieved only in 2003 and 2005 over the past 20 years. Main contamination sources include human waste, livestock, and environmental sources. Faecal bacteria concentrations measured at 3–4 times above the 1,000 CFU/100 ml threshold during dry weather at tributaries. During rainfall, concentrations far exceed the 1,000 CFU/100 ml threshold throughout the Lesse between Wanlin and Houyet. When river discharge exceeds 10 m³/sec, the zone is systematically declassified.

Risks

Faecal contamination from human sources, livestock access to the watercourse, wastewater discharges from autonomous zones and tourist establishments (campsites), tributary contamination (Rau d'Havenne, Biran, Lissoir), runoff from pastured meadows during rainfall, sewerage network malfunctioning including storm overflow devices.