EPA finds 2% drop in bathing water compliance

Dan Collins

Results for 2004 show the quality of the bathing water in Ireland is good with 76% of bathing areas (99 of 131 sites) complying with the national limit values.

Of the 122 sea water areas surveyed, 92 complied with the national standards in 2004.

But, two bathing areas failed to comply with the national standard for faecal coliforms.

These were Balbriggan and Dunmore East, Main Strand (Waterford).

Both Balbriggan and Skerries (Dublin Fingal) failed to comply with the national standard for total coliforms.

Twelve bathing areas failed to meet the national standard for faecal streptococci.

These were: Dunmore East, Main Strand and Tramore (Waterford); Balbriggan, Loughshinny, Skerries, Sutton Burrow Beach, Rush South Beach and Portmarnock (Dublin Fingal), Laytown/Bettystown (Meath) Merrion Strand and Sandymount strand (Dublin City) Rosslare Strand (Wexford).

The number of designated inland bathing areas remained at nine in 2004.

In 2004, seven out of nine designated freshwater sites complied with the limit values set out in the national regulations.

Keeldra in Leitrim failed to meet the national standard for both tarry residues and transparency, and Portuma in Galway failed to meet the standard for transparency.

Tests for dissolved oxygen were carried out at each freshwater site and all nine were compliant with the national standard set for this parameter.

This, the EPA report said, represents an improvement on 2003 when two sites were not compliant based on this parameter.

Both transparency and dissolved oxygen are considered more relevant to inland bathing sites.