Despite poisonous green sandy beaches, green bathing water, people with itching and a dog that became very ill after swimming in the Afgedamde Maas, the water in the Afgedamde Maas is of excellent swimming quality, according to the website swimmingwater.nl. The municipality of Altena thinks differently and warns not to swim in the water of the Afgedamde Maas near the beaches of Rijswijk, Andel, Veen and the Wijkse Bol in Wijk and Aalburg because of blue-green algae.
On at least one beach along the Afgedamde Maas, the beach along the waterfront is colored poisonous green by washed up and dried blue-green algae. The municipality of Altena announces that it concerns the (poisonous green) beach near the village of Veen and warns against swimming there.
“We are very disappointed about this.”
According to the latest data on the site that is known to be reliable, the swimming water at Veen is excellent. “Recent check: OK”, says the website swimmingwater.nl.
“We are very disappointed about this”, according to the response of the municipality of Altena. “As a government, we consistently refer to swimming water.nl, because you can go there for reliable information about, among other things, bathing water.”
“The blue-green algae almost crawls against the side.”
“The blue-green algae almost crawls against the side”, is a reaction from the town hall of Altena. Where, however, they also know why the ‘current water quality’, as stated on swimmingwater.nl, is not up to date at all. “There are a few days between taking water samples from the Afgedamde Maas, processing the results and then reporting it on swimmingwater.nl.”
The municipality also reports that the water samples were taken on Monday, August 8, but also that a lot of blue-green algae can be seen with the naked eye. “That is why we have decided, in consultation with Rijkswaterstaat, to issue a warning now.” The municipality has placed warning signs at the various beaches.
Zwemwater.nl creates even more confusion because since August 3 it has been warning about blue-green algae in the Afgedamde Maas near the village of Aalst. The same water with a difference: Veen is located on the banks of the Afgedamde Maas in the province of Brabant and Aalst is on the other side in the province of Gelderland.
Conclusion: a few hundred meters away, but in another province, they have known since August 3 that there is blue-green algae in the Afgedamde Maas and swimwater.nl warns about this.
“Watch out, because I went swimming anyway and I’m itching all over.”
The confusion keeps people busy on Facebook, among others. “Swimming water app still indicates well at Rijswijk beach,” writes Gerrie Smits van Maren. “Then put on that app as soon as possible and not during the week.”
“My dog experienced it firsthand at the Wijkse bol”, writes Vincentius Honings. “Last Monday, like every summer until now, she swam in the Maas, but this time (she) suddenly could not walk on Tuesday morning and she was urgently admitted, diagnosed with blue-green algae poisoning.”
And with Hannie Eland it was also hit: “Watch out, because I went swimming anyway and I’m itching everywhere.”
