Spain · Teruel
Embalse Estanca de Alcaniz Alca Iz water quality
Is it clean? Generally yes, with a caveat
Embalse Estanca de Alcaniz Alca Iz's official 2025 rating is Sufficient — meets the minimum EU standard in the latest annual assessment. It's the minimum passing grade, so it's worth checking for posted local advisories before swimming.
11-year classification history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Not classified2015
- 2016: Not classified2016
- 2017: Not classified2017
- 2018: Not classified2018
- 2019: Not classified2019
- 2020: Not classified2020
- 2021: Sufficient2021
- 2022: Sufficient2022
- 2023: Good2023
- 2024: Poor2024
- 2025: Sufficient2025
Sufficient in the most recent season, and 1 of 5 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Not classified |
| 2016 | Not classified |
| 2017 | Not classified |
| 2018 | Not classified |
| 2019 | Not classified |
| 2020 | Not classified |
| 2021 | Sufficient |
| 2022 | Sufficient |
| 2023 | Good |
| 2024 | Poor |
| 2025 | Sufficient |
- 2015Not classified — not enough samples in this year to assign an official rating.
- 2016Not classified — not enough samples in this year to assign an official rating.
- 2017Not classified — not enough samples in this year to assign an official rating.
- 2018Not classified — not enough samples in this year to assign an official rating.
- 2019Not classified — not enough samples in this year to assign an official rating.
- 2020Not classified — not enough samples in this year to assign an official rating.
- 2021Sufficient — meets the minimum EU standard in the latest annual assessment.
- 2022Sufficient — meets the minimum EU standard in the latest annual assessment.
- 2023Good — meets the EU bathing-water standard in the latest annual assessment.
- 2024Poor — below the EU standard; swimming may be discouraged or restricted by local authorities.
- 2025Sufficient — meets the minimum EU standard in the latest annual assessment.
2026 in-season sample timeline
No individual in-season sample feed has been published for Embalse Estanca de Alcaniz Alca Iz yet. The official 2025 classification above, from the annual EU Bathing Water report, is the most current rating available for this beach.
How measurement works
Under the EU Bathing Water Directive, national authorities take water samples through the bathing season and test them for two indicator bacteria: intestinal enterococci and E. coli. Higher counts of either indicate a greater risk of contamination from sewage or agricultural runoff.
At the end of each season, the full set of results is reported to the European Environment Agency, which assigns one of four classifications — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — based on the statistical spread of the last four seasons' samples, not a single reading. That's why the rating published in spring 2026 covers the 2025 season, and why one bad sample doesn't necessarily change the rating on its own.
Official bathing water profile ↗ · ← Back to the Embalse Estanca de Alcaniz Alca Iz overview · Water temperature at Embalse Estanca de Alcaniz Alca Iz →
Frequently asked questions
Should you swim at Embalse Estanca de Alcaniz Alca Iz?
It passes, but only just: the 2025 classification is Sufficient, the minimum passing grade, so a quick check of local advisories is worthwhile first. That applies to the water around Teruel.
How is bathing water quality measured?
Water samples taken through the bathing season are tested for two indicator bacteria — intestinal enterococci and E. coli — with the full season's results reported to the European Environment Agency the following spring, which grades the season Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor under the EU Bathing Water Directive. Some national authorities, including Croatia's IZOR, also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that annual report; that isn't yet available for Embalse Estanca de Alcaniz Alca Iz.
How often is the water tested?
Testing happens throughout the season (typically 4+ samples, May–September), but the resulting classification is only published once, the following spring. Embalse Estanca de Alcaniz Alca Iz doesn't yet have a published in-season feed, so the annual rating above is the most current figure on hand.