Marina Plage

20.1°C Water temp · Jun 8

France Coastal 1 - Excellent 20.1°C

Satellite image of MARINA PLAGE — Satellite image © Esri

Bathing water profile document for Etang de Berre beaches in France, updated for 2025. This document establishes risk profiles and management plans for multiple bathing sites around the lagoon, following the European Bathing Water Directive of 2006. The profile includes physical characteristics, hydrological features, pollution source identification, and assessment of cyanobacteria and macroalgae proliferation potential. Management procedures and actions are established based on water quality classifications ranging from insufficient to excellent.

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Water

Etang de Berre is a coastal lagoon with transition waters. Robinsons beach is 679 metres long with an average width of 5 metres, oriented E-SE. The beach features sand and pebbles bordered by a pine forest. Average daily attendance in 2020 was 9 people. A 30-metre dike is located south of the beach.

Location

Etang de Berre lagoon in France. Bathing beaches include Robinsons (Rognac), and others around the lagoon. Champigny, Marettes, and Romaniquette beaches are identified as sensitive to storm events.

Season

Monitoring activities are a priority from May to September. A minimum of 4 samples per bathing season are required for classification.

Water Quality

Water quality classification system includes four categories: insufficient, sufficient, good, and excellent. Classification is based on intestinal enterococci and Escherichia coli parameters (CFU/100ml) evaluated at the 95th percentile for good and excellent quality, and 90th percentile for sufficient quality. Excellent quality: enterococci ≤100, E.coli ≤250. Good quality: enterococci ≤200, E.coli ≤500. Sufficient quality: enterococci ≤185, E.coli ≤500. Robinsons beach was classified as excellent in 2024, 2023, and 2022, and good in 2021. Wastewater treatment plants on the watershed can cause bacteriological contamination during malfunctions or intense storm events, particularly via the Arc river near Champigny beach.

Risks

Storm episodes can cause short-term pollution from wastewater treatment plant discharges. Three beaches are more sensitive to storm contamination: Champigny, Marettes, and Romaniquette. Studies following nine storm episodes (4.6–45 mm per 24 hours) show average contamination 24 hours post-storm of 115 CFU E.coli/100ml and 79 CFU enterococci/100ml, which conform to regulations. Beach closure for 24 hours is recommended after storms or significant rainfall (≥10 mm per 24 hours). Robinsons beach has one high-level discharge, one moderate-level discharge, and seven low-level discharges within 1000 metres.