Why did the Institute take a sea sample if the discharge was no longer visible?

Director Benito Pucar stated that the decision was made based on past experience, to ensure the safety of swimmers and check for potential contamination.

Which microbiological parameters are being tested in the sea?

According to the Bathing Water Quality Regulation, the analysis includes testing for intestinal enterococci and the bacterium Escherichia coli.

When will the results of the sea analysis from Jadran Beach be available?

Initial preliminary results are expected within 24 hours of sampling, while the complete analysis will be ready within 48 hours.

Local

Zadar Institute Rushes to Sample Sea at Jadran Beach

B.L. · Prije 2h | 2 min

Director Benito Pucar ordered analysis even though the discharge of murky water was no longer visible. Initial results expected within 24 hours.

Summary

The Zadar Institute of Public Health urgently sampled the sea at Jadran Beach on Saturday after a video showed murky water discharging into the sea.
Although the discharge was no longer visible when staff arrived, a sample was taken as a precaution.
Intestinal enterococci and E. coli bacteria are being analyzed, with initial results expected within 24 hours.
Additional sampling was carried out on Sunday, and the public will be informed of the findings.

The County Institute of Public Health in Zadar responded urgently after a video showing murky water discharging into the sea near Jadran Beach appeared on social media and news portals. In a statement on Sunday, Institute Director Benito Pucar detailed the timeline of events and the measures taken.

Response Within Half an Hour

According to Director Pucar, he learned of the video on Sunday, August 9, 2026, around 1 p.m. The news was first posted in the Facebook group "For Zadar" and later picked up by the portal 057 info and other Zadar media outlets. "Given that the video shows wastewater flowing into the sea, I called an Institute employee who lives near Jadran Beach to check the situation on the ground," Pucar said.

The employee arrived at the beach, located near the Marex café bar, by around 1:30 p.m. Although he found that the discharge shown in the video was no longer visible, the director, drawing on past experience, still ordered water sampling. The sample was taken between 2:05 and 2:15 p.m.

What Is Being Tested and When Results Will Arrive

The sample was immediately sent to the Marine Biology and Microbiology Laboratory within the Institute's Department of Health Ecology and Environmental Protection. "In accordance with the Bathing Water Quality Regulation, the analysis includes testing microbiological indicators: intestinal enterococci and the bacterium Escherichia coli," Pucar explained. Preliminary results will be available within 24 hours, with a full analysis taking 48 hours.

The director also announced that Institute staff would conduct additional sampling at the beach on Monday, August 10. "The public will be promptly informed of all analysis results," Pucar said in the statement.