CO CLARE: Methods blamed for muddying the waters

Despite having excellent water quality, two beaches failed to get Blue Flags for 2013 — because of a mathematical anomaly.

Calculation methods used to implement strict new EU guidelines have been blamed by Clare County Council for the loss of Blue Flag status for two of the county’s most popular tourist beaches.

Clare received six awards in the 2013 Blue Flag list but two of its best-known bathing areas, Lahinch and White Strand in Miltown Malbay, lost their coveted status.

The council yesterday called for a review of the methods used to determine Blue Flag status after learning that Lahinch and White Strand failed to meet the strict criteria, despite their excellent water quality.

Speaking at the awards ceremony yesterday, Minister Phil Hogan acknowledged the disquiet about the new methodology. He recognised that in rare instances, it could result in “a perverse outcome”.

Paul Moroney, a senior engineer with Clare County Council, said a “mathematical anomaly” in the new evaluation methods had resulted in the two beaches losing their Blue Flag status.

He claimed the anomaly would have resulted in the two beaches retaining their flags if “greater levels of E.coli” had been found.

He stressed that Lahinch and White Strand have excellent bathing water, despite the fact that the new standards are between two and two-and-a-half times more stringent than previous guidelines.

He explained the anomaly appeared to arise when low single-figure E.coli results — which generally signify pristine water — are included in complex calculations. He said international experts had already highlighted the problem of how in some circumstances, the application of the new methodology to good results could cause a beach to fail to meet the Blue Flag standards.

Clare County Council claimed the new system is not adequately equipped to deal with clean waters and should be reviewed. It stressed a temporary ban on swimming at Lahinch, Spanish Point, and Kilkee, which was introduced in Jul 2012, had no impact on the results as the Environmental Protection Agency had granted it a derogation to exclude any water samples taken in that period due to an exceptional weather event.

The Mayor of Clare, Pat Daly, expressed concern that the loss of the Blue Flag at two of the county’s best-known beaches could have a negative impact on tourism.

“It is unacceptable that good water quality results are effectively punished under the new system,” the Fianna Fáil councillor. said.

The council has raised the issue with An Taisce as well as Phil Hogan, the environment minister, who has been asked to refer the matter to the European Commission.

The minister recognised that the consequences of such a statistical glitch could be serious and promised to raise the matter with EU officials.

Patricia Oliver from An Taisce also admitted that tests from Lahinch had resulted in an anomaly which she described as “unique”.

She said the issue had been raised with the Foundation for Environmental Education on whose part An Taisce administers the Blue Flag scheme in Ireland, as well as the European Commission.

However, she stated that An Taisce had no power to change the status of the two beaches in Clare to award them a Blue Flag.