The Environmental Protection Agency has placed five Irish beaches under swimming restrictions following a water quality report.
Clifden beach in Galway has been declassified as a swimming spot along with Cúas Crom in Co Kerry, Lough Ennell in Co Westmeath and both Merrion Strand and Balbriggan Front Strand in Co Dublin.
The water at Clifden Beach has been classed as poor for the last six years.
Last year, samples by Galway County Council found huge numbers of E.coli and Intestinal Enterococci bacteria, usually present as a result of fecal waste, in the water.
According to Galway County Council, the main issue at Clifden Beach is a storm water overflow at the Clifden wastewater treatment plant. Other potential sources of pollution include discharges from septic tanks in the area.
In Dublin, Merrion Strand beach has also had five consecutive years of poor quality ratings, the main pollutants being two streams that flow from the city onto the beach.
The beaches with a poor quality rating are declassified as swimming spots and bathing will be either advised against or totally prohibited for the entire summer.
Irish beaches are rated under an annual water quality rating by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The results are based on monitoring over four years.
During the summer months, water quality ratings are available on beaches.ie and on beach notice boards around the country.
Beaches that meet quality standards are rated as ‘Excellent’, ‘Good’, or ‘Sufficient.’ Beaches are classified as ‘Poor’ where they don’t meet these standards.
What does a poor rating mean?
According to the EPA, Beaches with water rated less than ‘Sufficient’ are “prone to the influence of pollution sources such as streams, drainage, or sewage discharges.”
“Unlike the Mediterranean, where long sunny days, and generally warm and calm waters are the norm the weather in Ireland can have a marked influence on water quality.
"Strong winds can churn up the sand making waters turbid while heavy rainfall can increase the likelihood of the runoff of agricultural manures from fields or discharges of sewage from storm outfalls.”
The majority of the beaches that have been put under restriction are also very vulnerable to short term pollution after heavy rainfall.
The EPA says “it is important to avoid contact with the water for at least 48 hours to prevent the risk of getting a recreational water illness.”
“The most common health issue correlated with polluted water is gastroenteritis.
"Other minor illnesses associated with swimming in contaminated water include eye, ear, nose and/or throat infections, and skin rashes. In rare occurrences, more serious illnesses that can be contracted include dysentery, infectious hepatitis, and severe gastroenteritis.”
So where can I go swimming?
The EPA found that 96% of Irish beaches met or exceeded their minimum standards. 111 have been rated as ‘excellent.’
Two beaches that had "poor" water quality in 2019 improved last year - Brook Beach in Portrane, Dublin and Ballyloughane Beach in Co Galway.
EPA director Dr Eimear Cotter said: “The continued improvement in bathing water quality is welcome. It is also positive to see two new beaches being identified in 2020, and to see improvements at two beaches that had poor water quality previously.”
The EPA only uses results from the peak bathing season of June 1 to September 15 when assessing water quality, but as more and more people start swimming off-season.
Dr Eimear Cotter called for water quality to be monitored year-round.
“With many people now swimming outside the bathing season, the EPA is calling for additional water quality monitoring at beaches where there are large numbers of year-round swimmers, and that this information is made available to the public.”
A full list of beaches and their ratings are available at beaches.ie to make sure your swimming spot is safe.
