Mixed results for beaches in EU test

WATER quality has taken a dip at Irish beaches with fewer bathing areas meeting standards of cleanliness.

But Irish bathing water still ranks among the best in Europe, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) annual report, and the small number of freshwater lakes and rivers tested produced their best results ever.

Three of the 122 beaches surveyed last year failed to reach mandatory minimum EU standards which require local authorities to test for bacteria, sewage, detergents, fuels and other types of pollution.

They were Ardmore in Co Waterford and Brittas Bay South, County Wicklow, which both had unacceptable bacterial levels, and Brittas Bay North, Co Wicklow which tested positive for detergents.

While this is a drop in quality for the Wicklow beaches which passed the tests in recent years, Ardmore has become a serial offender, failing key tests in 1997, 1998 and 2000.

A bigger disappointment, though, was the greater number failing the EU’s more stringent “guide values”.

Seventeen out of the 122 failed to make it on to the top quality list.

Beaches which met mandatory standards but fell short of guide values were: Dollymount; Merrion; Sandymount; Balbriggan; Malahide; Portmarnock; Rush South Beach; Skerries and Sutton Burrow Beach all in Dublin; Lady’s Bay and Port Arthur, Co Donegal; Clifden and Na Forbacha, Co Galway; Inny, Waterville, Co Kerry; Laytown/Bettystown, Co Meath; Enniscrone, Co Sligo and Clogga Beach, Co Wicklow.

The only counties where all beaches tested met the higher standards were Cork, Clare, Mayo and Wexford.

Salmonella testing was carried out at 13 beaches nationwide and Merrion Strand in Dublin tested positive.

In all, nine inland bathing areas were tested and, for the first time, all met the EU’s guide standards.

Local authorities are required by law to keep test results on display either at their beaches or in an easily-accessed public building.