Four Irish beaches fail water quality test

THE VAST majority of Irish bathing waters meet higher than “mandatory” European Union standards, according to an Environmental Protection Agency report published yesterday.

The Quality of Bathing Water in Ireland – An Overview for the Year 2010 reports that some 90 per cent of Ireland’s coastal, lake and river bathing waters were classified as “good” in 2010. When judged by the lower “mandatory” standards, 97 per cent of bathing places were deemed satisfactory.

Four out of 131 bathing places tested were classified as having “poor” water quality. Two of these – Clifden Beach in Co Galway, and Lilliput at Lough Ennel in Co Westmeath – are repeat offenders.

The overall results, however, mark an improvement on last year, with an 8 per cent increase in the number of bathing areas classified as “good”. There was also a 4 per cent rise in the number of bathing waters classified as sufficient by mandatory standards.

Among the chief difficulties were coliform bacteria. Values were given for “total coliforms” and “faecal coliforms”.

In a number of cases, local sewerage systems were thought to be behind the detection of coliforms, as were individual septic tanks and small group waste-water systems. Further difficulties were ascribed to flooding, with heavy rainfall washing bacteria into watercourses.

Michael Lehane, the programme manager with the Office of Environmental Assessment, said drier, sunnier weather made for cleaner water as ultraviolet light in sunshine cleansed water.

He said there was an ongoing difficulty with Clifden, which has failed to achieve sufficient water quality status for six consecutive years.

While the most significant source of contamination was the public waste-water treatment plant, additional possible sources included private, commercial and domestic wastewater treatment facilities unconnected to the public plant.

“If Clifden is to comply with EU bathing water standards, a new Clifden waste-water treatment plant is required,” Mr Lehane said.

On Lilliput, at Lough Ennel in Co Westmeath, the agency said Westmeath County Council had constructed a wetland to deal with malfunctions at a wastewater plant attached to public toilets.

Of the other two failures, Ballyallia Lake in Ennis, Co Clare, was in a vulnerable catchment area, while Sutton’s Burrow Beach was vulnerable to wastewater pumping stations.

Mr Lehane said that in comparison to the An Taisce Blue Flag swimming area awards, the agency’s “good” status would equate to blue flag standards. On this basis, 90 per cent of bathing places surveyed would qualify for a blue flag.

Four Fails

LILLIPUT, LOUGH ENNEL

Lough Ennel was classified as having poor water quality status because of an excess of total coliforms. Westmeath County Council indicated that the cause of the non-compliance was a malfunctioning of an onsite wastewater system associated with public toilets on the shore of Lough Ennel. The council constructed a reed-bed wetland to purify the waste as part of its remedial works.

BURROW BEACH, SUTTON

Burrow Beach in Sutton, Dublin, was classified as having poor water quality not complying with the EU mandatory value for the microbiological parameter faecal coliforms. Overflows from local pumping stations may have been the cause. Uncontrolled factors such as the weather resulting in overflows from septic tanks and onsite treatment plants may have contributed. There are plans to upgrade wastewater pumping stations.

CLIFDEN

Clifden was classified as having poor water quality in relation to faecal coliforms. As reported by Galway County Council, the most significant source of contamination is the public wastewater treatment plant in the town. A new treatment plant was due to be completed in 2010, but approval for a foreshore licence was outstanding and, as a result, funding for the project was not granted by the Department of the Environment.

BALLYALLIA LAKE, ENNIS

Ballyallia Lake in Ennis, Co Clare, was classified as having poor water quality status in relation to total coliforms.

The lake is located in a very vulnerable catchment and water quality can deteriorate after heavy rain. The bathing area had sufficient water quality status in 2009 and a study was carried out by Clare County Council in January 2011 to determine the potential sources of pollution.

Online: details of bathing water monitoring can be found on bathingwater.ie