Bathing ban on beach after raised bacteria levels detected

One of Cork’s most popular beaches has been closed for swimming after elevated levels of bacteria were found in the water.

Cork County Council confirmed yesterday that a temporary bathing prohibition notice is in place at Garryvoe Beach in east Cork.

It followed water quality tests on Thursday — prompted by concerns from the results of routine tests earlier in the week — which revealed elevated levels of intestinal enterococci in the water, and possibly also in the stream which discharges onto the beach.

While the level of e.coli was well below the guideline limit, the level of enterococci was almost twice its safe limit.

Officials warned that bathing in the water could cause illness.

Extremely heavy rain fell in the Ballycotton Bay area earlier this week and bacteria levels in bathing water can increase afterwards due to run-off. But it is thought the spike in levels at Garryvoe is due to discharge from sewage infrastructure.

Council officials will conduct more samples today and will consult with public health experts in the HSE before a decision is taken on whether to lift the swimming ban.

There are two caravan parks — one on either side of the strand — and Garryvoe Hotel faces the beach. Hotel manager Stephen Belton said the bathing ban will affect business, with reduced footfall from the beach to the hotel.

“It’s the height of the season and we still have three weeks to go so I would hope that this issue would be resolved quickly,” he said.

During the 2012 bathing season, e.coli levels in the bathing waters at Garryvoe exceeded the guide value on seven of the 14 bathing water sampling events. Five of those non -compliances were associated with high rainfall levels in the days before testing.

Samples taken from the stream on four of these occasions all showed high e.coli levels.

Experts said at the time that the unrepresentative high bacterial counts may have been attributed to the significant rainfall events and saturated soil conditions.

These poor bathing water results cost Garryvoe Beach its Blue Flag status in 2013.

Last year, e.coli levels at the beach breached the guidelines on just one of 10 bathing water sampling events — an occasion not associated with heavy rainfall.

Bathing prohibition notices and warnings were lifted yesterday from several other Irish beaches — most of which are on the Dublin coast, including five in Fingal County Council’s administrative area.