Swim ban at popular beaches due to sewage in the water
Hot spell to continue into next week
SEVERAL of the country’s beaches have been shut off to swimmers as the nation continues to bake in warm temperatures.
There are warnings in place at Sandymount Strand, Dollymount and Merrion Strand due to sewage overflows from a pumping station breakdown.
Sunny “exam weather” continues to grip the country, with temperatures reaching as high as 25C in Shannon, Co Clare, yesterday.
But it is bad news for sand-lovers nationwide as several of the country’s beaches have been closed to swimmers.
In Dublin, bathers have been banned from three of the capital’s most popular beauty spots since Wednesday after a pumping station broke down in the South Dublin area and caused discharge to enter the Liffey.
A spokesperson for Dublin City Council explained that test results will be received today to deem whether it is safe for the ban to be lifted.
“A temporary breakdown at a pumping station resulted in a discharge to the Liffey. Following consultations with the HSE, Dublin City Council placed Precautionary Bathing Water notices in Dollymount, Sandymount and Merrion beaches,” they said.
“Bathing water samples have been taken and when definitive results are available [today], it will be possible to state whether there has been any impact on the water body. It is hoped at this point that the notices can be lifted.”
Labour councillor for the Pembroke-South Dock area Dermot Lacey hit out at the closures, saying it was not good enough that Dubliners were repeatedly putting up with such closures.
“I have this on the agenda for the area committee meeting on Monday because this happened about six weeks ago as well,” he told the Irish Independent.
“It is not really acceptable that three of the premier beaches in Dublin – a free facility for Dubliners – is not available in this hottest of hot weather because of some sort of sewage overflow. This is 2018, not 1818.”
Mr Lacey said the issue also highlighted the need for investment into the country’s water treatment systems. “Water charges weren’t just about
water into the home but also the water into the home and the ability to provide proper sewage and overflows was all part of the package of Irish Water and the fact that we can’t do that is partially is to do with that campaign [against water charges],” he said.
Meanwhile in Cork, swimming is also prohibited today at Garryvoe as an elevated level of e-coli was found in the water earlier this week, making the area potentially unsafe for anyone looking to cool off in the hot weather.
The temporary ban is set to be in place until today at least, when test results will help to evaluate whether the water quality has returned to a “satisfactory” level.
However, all hope is not lost as the warm weather looks like it will be sticking around until at least early next week, although there will be some heavy rain too.
A yellow weather warning with a threat of localised flooding was in place overnight and will remain until 9pm tonight.
Temperatures are expected to reach 26C over the weekend.
Forecaster Liz Gavin said the rest of this week and early next week will see a “good deal of warm and dry weather”.