Bathing sites fail to measure up in EU guide

LAST year’s wet summer is being blamed for a downturn in the number of bathing areas meeting EU quality targets.

Wed, 07 May, 2008 - 01:00

A report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that while 97% of 131 designated bathing sites met EU mandatory standards in 2007, there was a decrease in the number of areas measuring up to the stricter EU guide values.

“This was due, in general, to the higher than usual rainfall that occurred during the 2007 bathing season which would have the effect of, among other things, causing increased discharges that would impact on bathing areas,” says the quality of bathing water report for 2007.

Just four bathing areas fell below the mandatory European standards — Youghal in Co Cork, Balbriggan in north Dublin, and Clifden and Na Forbacha in Galway.

Youghal and Na Forbacha had met the standards in 2006. The local councils must notify the public in each area that the bathing water doesn’t meet with minimum quality standards, with “conspicuous” notices about the “risks posed to their health”, according to the EPA.

For Balbriggan, it was the fourth time in five years that it has not met the mandatory standard, while Clifden has failed to make the cut in three of the last five years — mainly because of the nearby wastewater treatment plant.

Meanwhile, the main strand at Dunmore East, Co Waterford and the beach at Malahide in north Co Dublin moved back into compliance with the minimum standards after failing in 2006, while Dollymount Strand in Dublin also improved — moving from the mandatory quality level to the stricter guideline level.

A total of 15 bathing areas were downgraded from meeting the EU quality levels to meeting the minimum levels. EPA programme manager Dr Micheal Lehane said: “While the overall level of bathing water quality remains good, the EPA is concerned that a small number of bathing areas are consistently failing to meet the minimum mandatory standards.” He warned that adequate measures, including the provision of wastewater treatment facilities, are needed at these bathing areas if they are to comply with current EU standards.

The EU guide levels are quality objectives, to which all bathing areas are supposed to aspire. Compliance in Ireland has varied between 79% and 92% over the last 10 years. Of the 131 designated bathing areas, 122 are seawater and nine are freshwater-based. All are checked fortnightly during the bathing season (start of June until end of August) by the relevant local authority. Since the start of testing in 1992, all nine of the freshwater bathing areas have complied with the minimum standards each year.

However, tougher standards are on the way with the implementation of a new bathing water directive in the coming years.

Life’s a beach

Failing to make the bathing water quality cut:

* Balbriggan (Dublin Fingal)

*Youghal (Co Cork)

* Clifden (Co Galway)

* Na Forbacha (Co Galway).

Downgraded from EU quality levels to minimum levels:

* Merrion Strand (Dublin city)

* Skerries (Dublin Fingal)

* Portmarnock (Dublin Fingal)

* Donabate (Dublin Fingal)