DUN LAOGHAIRE RATHDOWN county council has issued a ban against all swimming and bathing along most of its shoreline due to the high levels of E Coli in the water between Seapoint and Killiney.
The council has said that the temporary prohibition notice will remain in place until Monday when test results are due back.
The ban follows regular water quality tests conducted by the council which discovered the high levels of contamination at Killiney Beach, Blackrock and Seapoint bathing areas.
Fianna Fáil councillor Cormac Devlin said that he was alarmed by the latest warning.
He said: ”We are fortunate, in one way that the weather is not forecast to be as warm and sunny as it has been however the fact that this has happened for yet again, for another summer is alarming.
Daily and regular swimming is common along our coast and I have asked the officials of the Council to try investigate the root cause of this re-occurring problem so it can be dealt with once and for all. The last prohibition notice was issued in January of this year.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown council is also advising pet owners that the water quality at present at these locations can be equally harmful to animals and they are advised to keep their pets out of the water also.
Back in May it emerged that the water at six beaches in Ireland failed to reached the minimum standard of quality in the environmental report.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report for 2016 on Ireland’s bathing waters found that 93% met minimum EU standards but there were some which posed a risk to the public.
Ballyloughane, Trá na Forbacha and Clifden in Galway, Loughshinny in Fingal, Merrion Strand in Dublin and Portrane (Brook Beach) were given a “Poor” rating by the EPA for a variety of reasons. High bacteria levels, wastewater pollution, sewage, faeces and the presence of E coli are among the reasons the beaches failed to meet standards.
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