Swimming bans lifted in three local beaches
THERE was good news for Rosses Point, Streedagh and Mullaghmore as their beaches were given the all- clear to reopen on Thursday. There had been swimming prohibited signs erected at the North Sligo beaches by Sligo County Council the previous Friday. This followed high levels of Intestinal enterococci being found at the locations following tests. Further tests were carried out and these came back negative on Thursday. The beaches could have been in jeopardy of losing their statuses.
Sligo County Council released a statement on Thursday saying the temporary ban had been lifted on all three beaches. “The quality of the three beaches has been classified as excellent over the last number of years. The exceedances on the three beaches are extremely unusual and the three beaches have been inspected and no evidence of polluting discharges has been found.
“Follow up sampling was undertaken on 27th June, results of these samples detail a return to excellent water quality and following consultation with the HSE the ban on bathing has been lifted.
“Sligo County Council will continue to monitor all bathing areas in the county throughout the bathing season and results of this monitoring can be viewed locally on beach notice boards, on Sligo County Council’s website at www. sligococo. ie/ bathingwater and on www. bathingwater. ie a dedicated bathing water information site hosted by the EPA,” it added. Following the discovery of the bacteria, there are more calls to test further beaches around the county.