Blue Flag down the line for Duncannon

DUNCANNON is in line to secure a Blue Flag for its water quality.

Dr Fran Igoe of the newly established Local Authority Waters and Communities Office (Lawco) said he made a presentation in Duncannon recently, which was very well attended, about water. Mr Igoe said the lack of a treatment plant in Duncannon should not deter Duncannon beach from getting a Blue Flag.

Mairead Kavanagh said Irish Water is proposing that the waste water treatment plant for the Duncannon, Arthurstown, Ballyhack areas be located in Arthurstown.

Ms Kavanagh said that a final report is being prepared by consultants and their work is due to be completed in four years.

A new plan to develop interest in and use of rivers and the Irish Sea along the coast was unveiled at the meeting by Dr Igoe who made a presentation to councillors on the Water Framework Directive.

Mr Igoe said the group will be looking at the Barrow and Nore rivers having already looked at the Suir in terms of its potential. ‘We need to get communities in these areas to join up. It’s about creating awareness.’

He said the recent discovery of honeycomb coral on our coast was important, adding that the wide variety of fish in our waters is another point of interest tourists could connect with. Funding opportunities also exist for communities, he added. Mr Igoe said the group will work in partnership with councillors. Cllr Oisin O’Connell said most people live beside rivers or streams that they might have ideas about potential uses for them, or concerns about activities on the rivers, but they do not know whom to tell.

‘ This is a way to get people working together. Sometimes when it comes to mitigating flooding or sewage you need a whole system approach rather than just a technological fix,’ Cllr O’Connell said.

Ann Phelan of Lawco said: ‘ This is about participation. We will be working very closely with communities on the ground. This is about working with people to deliver good water quality through projects.’