One Donegal beach remains in the ‘poor’ water quality category following a report released today by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The public have been recommended to avoid swimming in Lady’s Bay in Buncrana.
The EPA says this is impacted by Buncrana waste water treatment plant, combined stormwater overflows, and surface run-off, which are made worse by heavy rainfall.
The overall news is positive for Donegal’s 22 bathing waters with 77% having excellent quality and 14% are of good quality.
The details can be seen in the annual bathing water quality report for 2023.
Bathing water quality can be impacted by heavy rainfall. This results in waste water overflows and in runoff from agricultural lands and urban areas which can cause short-term deterioration in water quality.
In 2023 urban waste water related incidents were the most frequently reported cause of beach closures. Run-off from agriculture, fouling from dogs left on the beach, wastewater from properties going to surface water drains rather than sewer (known as misconnections) and algal blooms also impacted on bathing waters.
Record rainfall levels in July and storms in August led to more beach closures in 2023 than in previous years. The rainfall events in 2023 highlighted the need to build climate resilience into the effective management of bathing waters.
Commenting on the report, Dr Eimear Cotter, Director of the EPA, Office of Evidence and Assessment, said:
“While our bathing water quality is generally very good overall, there is a need to build climate resilience into the management of bathing waters to reduce the risk of pollution following heavy rainfall. This needs action by all sectors including Uisce Éireann, local authorities, and agriculture to reduce overflows from urban waste water systems, and runoff from urban areas and agricultural land. While beach closures play an important role in protecting bathers’ health, local authorities need to improve their understanding of the pressures which can impact beaches in the context of changing rainfall patterns.”
No new bathing water sites were identified in 2023, although monitoring continues at almost 80 beaches not formally identified.
The EPA encourages swimmers to engage with local authorities to officially identify and manage additional bathing sites to protect bathers’ health.
Further information on bathing water quality and updates on monitoring results during the bathing water season (1st June to 15th September) is available at www.beaches.ie.
Swimmers should always check www.beaches.ie and the signage at the beach for the latest water quality information for their local bathing site.
The report Bathing Water Quality in Ireland 2023 is now available on the EPA website.
