Beach water failure ‘may be down to livestock in stream’
CEMAES GETS ‘POOR’ RATING
A SEASIDE village could be “killed off” unless immediate action is taken to tackle poor water quality at its popular beach.
That was the warning by community leaders after Cemaes, on the northern coast of Anglesey, was the only beach in Wales to be given a “poor” water quality rating during tests carried out by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
As a result, warning signs will now be placed on the beach, advising bathers to stay clear of the sea.
But the chair of the community council is now urging immediate action to resolve the issue by the spring, fearing the village could be “killed off” if tourists turn away in droves.
Cllr Derek Owen of Llanbadrig Community Council said: “The first we were made aware of the problem was when we read it in the press last week, no-one from NRW got in touch beforehand.
“Basically, if the beach is unusable, it will kill off the village. So many businesses depend on tourists, but many will decide to go elsewhere if the beach is shut.”
An Anglesey Council spokesman confirmed that no warning signs are scheduled to be installed until the spring, with Cllr Owen hoping the issue can be solved by then.
He added: “As a community council, our efforts are focused on pushing the authorities to resolve the problem as soon as possible. Because of this, we’ll be holding a public meeting next week to get the whole community together and to sort out what we know and to push the authorities to sort out the problem as soon as possible.”
Last week, NRW officers cited livestock bacteria and excrement as a possible cause of the pollution, having spent £25,000 on a bridge crossing Afon Wygyr, which feeds into the beach, in order to stop livestock from crossing the river and using it for drinking water.
Senior environment officer, Euryn Roberts, added: “Pollution can come from a variety of sources – from sewerage systems to run off from agricultural and urban areas.
“We’re working with farmers in the Cemaes area to try and stop livestock from fording the river, which can cause faeces and bacteria.”
A spokesman for NRW confirmed that they will spend the winter working with agencies to try and find the root of the problem and find a solution before further water tests, pencilled in for early May and the start of the bathing season.
The island’s AM, Rhun ap Iorwerth, said: ““This is clearly worrying, and the priority now must be to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to resolve the situation.
“Cemaes is a jewel in Anglesey’s crown and both the local population and tourists who flock to the village must be given confidence that measures are being put in place to deal with this issue. I’m confident that can be done.”
- The public meeting will be held at Cemaes Village Hall on Monday, November 28 at 7pm.