Severe bacterial contamination found at Musone and Misa river mouths on Italy's Marche coast

Legambiente’s annual Goletta Verde monitoring on the Marche coastline recorded bacterial levels far above legal limits at several river mouths. At the Musone mouth near Numana and Porto Recanati, enterococci concentrations were more than six times the permitted level and Escherichia coli reached 540 UFC per 100 ml, exceeding the 500 UFC threshold. Overall, seven of the twelve water samples taken on 16 June 2026 surpassed safety limits, covering almost 60 % of the surveyed stretch.

For the first time, the sampling point south of the Misa river mouth at Senigallia also showed “strongly polluted” water, contradicting the Ministry of Health’s portal that still classifies the site as suitable for bathing. Other monitored locations, such as the beach at Porto Recanati and the Chienti river mouth, remained within legal limits. Regional authorities display mixed messages: official signage prohibits swimming at the Musone and Chienti mouths, while the regional water portal lists the areas as bathable.

Legambiente’s president for Marche, Marco Ciarulli, warned that chronic deficiencies in wastewater treatment plants keep the river mouths polluted, posing health risks for both the sea ecosystem and beachgoers.