ABSTRACTThis paper deals with concepts and methodsthat may be used in the assessment and management of risks associated with aquatic recreation. It aims to explore potential approaches and to indicate their strengths and weaknesses. The paper concentrates on hazards encountered in bathing, swimming and water‐contact sports that may be affected by water quality. Aspects discussed include: the role of society in regulating risks that are taken voluntarily by individuals; the difficulties of measuring those risks by means of epidemiological studies; the questionable predictive power of bacterial indicators and the problem of finding a satisfactory rationale for determining the standards for recreational water