Good news for those planning a swim in the pearl of Macedonia this summer: the water in Lake Ohrid is safe for swimming at nearly all the measuring points. According to the latest analysis, at 10 of 11 locations the water meets the legal requirements for swimming.

To be precise, at eight measuring sites the water is first class, at two it's second class, and only along the shore at Grašnica is it rated third class - which, under the regulations, does not meet the conditions for swimming. At every other beach, swimming is allowed and safe.

The figure sounds encouraging, and it really is - but Grašnica being the sole black spot is no accident. The same institutions that have measured the quality for years warn that hotels, bars and houses along the shore pollute because they aren't connected to the collector, and the sewage system is old. The clean water of the lake isn't thanks to the system, but in spite of it.

So the good news should be read carefully. Ten out of eleven points is an excellent result for swimmers this weekend, but also a reminder of how easily those numbers can drop if the lake's protection stays on paper. Lake Ohrid is under UNESCO protection - the question is whether we ourselves treat it as such.