Tag Archives: bathing waters

Environmental Protection Agency testing over the past three years has found that bathing waters in Clare are “excellent”. The EPA report Bathing Water Quality in Ireland – A Report for the Year 2015 published this week states that 93 per cent of Irish bathing waters meet minimum EU Standards and three quarters of bathing waters continue to be of Excellent quality for the second-year running. Fresh water bathing waters at Ballyalla Lake, Ballycuggeran and Mountshannon (Lough Derg) were found to be excellent in terms of their E. coli, intestinal enterococci and overall status as were Bishopsquarter, Cappagh Pier in Kilrush, Fanore, Kilkee, Lahinch, Spanish Point, White Strand Doonbeg and Whitestrand, Miltown Malbay. Traught in Kinvara was also found to be excellent for the three years between 2012 and 2015. “Despite a cool and, at times, wet and windy summer, the overall quality of Ireland’s bathing waters continues to be extremely good with the stricter standards providing a high level of …

ELEVEN of the EU identified bathing waters in County Clare achieved compliance with the new stricter standards of ‘Excellent ‘ or ‘Good’ bathing water quality according to the most recent Environmental Protection Agency report, The Quality of Bathing Water in Ireland – 2014. Those waters which achieved the excellent standard rating included Ballyallia Lake, Ballycuggeran, Bishopsquater, Cappagh Pier Kilrush, Fanore, Kilkee, Lahinch, Mountshannon, Lough Derg, Spanish Point and White Strand – Doonbeg and Miltown Malbay. Throughout 2014, Local Authorities tested 136 EU identified bathing waters together with many other smaller, or less well used, waters with 94% of identified bathing areas meeting new stricter EU standards. These are almost twice as strict as those previously applied. The EPA advises bathers in County Clare that they can check current bathing water quality using the Splash website, splash.epa.ie. The website has an interactive, colour-coded map that allows people to check out any of the 136 EU identified bathing waters. Before deciding on the …

THE report by the Environmental Protection Agency on Bathing Water Quality shows that each of Clare’s 11 bathing areas were deemed to be compliant with mandatory water quality levels in 2013. Bathing waters were classified into three categories, namely ‘Good’, ‘Sufficient’ and ‘Poor’. The classification system is based on the levels of E. Coli and intestinal enterococci detected in the bathing water during the 2013 bathing season. All 11 bathing areas around Clare were adjudged to have ‘Good Water Quality’ having complied with EU Guide and Mandatory levels, including Ballyalla Lake, on the outskirts of  Ennis, which was deemed to only have ‘Sufficient Water Quality’ in 2012. The other bathing water areas are White Strand (Milltown Malbay), Ballycuggeran (Lough Derg), Cappa Pier (Kilrush), Bishopsquarter, White Strand (Doonbeg), Kilkee, Spanish Point, Lahinch, Fanore and Mountshannon (Lough Derg). According to Paul Moroney, senior engineer with  Clare County Council, the local authority is delighted that each of the 11 designated bathing areas that …