For a number of years, the people of Tartu have been discussing the idea of establishing a public beach and swimming area along the Emajõgi River in the Karlova district. The area in question is close to the Prisma store on Sõbra puiestee. Partly for that reason, locals began cleaning up the potential beach area back in 2016. However, any hopes that an official swimming area will be established there now appear to have been quashed.

"For the time being, it will stay as a summer place where we can come with our bikes, sit down, have a little campfire on the water's edge, or maybe have a barbecue and talk. Whether or not there will be a swimming area here depends on many, many things. We haven't ruled out that idea yet," said local community leader Kristel Vask.

Since then, the idea creating a public beach in Karlova has also been among the projects put forward to receive funding during Tartu's annual inclusive budget. Last year, the idea ended up being third following a public vote, meaning it was the highest placed among all those suggested to miss out on a city grant of up to €100,000, which would have helped make the vision a reality.

However, Tartu Deputy Mayor Raimond Tamm said that, in any case, no official swimming spot will be established at the proposed site.

"Since rainwater is, by its very nature, not the kind of water for which the quality can be guaranteed or controlled, it is not possible to ensure such high quality water in this nearby swimming area. Therefore, the establishment of a swimming area there is officially prohibited," said Tamm.

According to the Estonian Water Act, the nearest water abstraction point must be at least 200 meters away from a potential bathing or swimming site. However, the law does not consider rainwater to be waste water. Therefore, according to Triin Mägi, head of the Estonian Environment Agency's water department, the 200-meter requirement does not directly apply to stormwater.

"There is, however, the requirement that the release of rainwater must not cause bathing water to fail to meet quality standards. If an outlet is located anywhere near this bathing beach, it must be carefully monitored. There are specific requirements for stormwater, pollutant levels, and so on," explained Mägi.

Mägi added that to create a public beach in an area where rainwater also flows toward it, it is necessary to begin regularly testing samples of the water there. There is also the issue of how regularly the Estonian Health Authority ought to take these samples. Rainwater too has an impact on water quality in the area.

"If this beach is built there, then that impact has to be taken into account. If the quality of the bathing water does not meet the requirements there either, then that is a conscious decision whereby the beach was established in this kind of location. All this has to be taken into account during the planning process," said Mägi.

Although the City of Tartu is not authorizing the creation of an official swimming area on the Karlova beach, there is still the belief that the riverside in that area could be transformed into a vibrant recreational area.

"We are very much in favor of the creation of a new recreational area. Whether we call it the Karlova beach area or not, in any case it would be logical for a recreational area like that along the Emajõgi River to be established in Karlova. If we are talking now about swimming in the river, then of course you can swim in the river. Nowhere is the Emajõgi restricted to the extent can't go there and swim, but you go into the water at your own risk," said Tamm.

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