The quality of Ireland’s bathing waters remains high, with 97% of designated bathing areas meeting the EU mandatory standards, and classed as being of ‘sufficient’ water quality status, according to the EPA’s recent report ‘The Quality of Bathing Water in Ireland – An Overview for the Year 2010’. In addition, 90% of bathing waters meet higher guideline standards and are classified as ‘good’ status. This is an 8% increase compared to the previous bathing season.
“There has been an overall improvement in bathing water quality in Ireland in the 2010 season. While some of this is attributable to the dry summer of 2010, the EPA is confident that measures taken to implement the Water Framework Directive – including licensing of Urban Waste Water Treatment Plants by the EPA – are playing their part in making those improvements,” comments Dr Mary Kelly, director general of EPA. “However, stricter standards for bathing water will be introduced under legislation, which means that greater effort will be needed to ensure that our bathing waters are clean, and fit for the people of Ireland to swim in.”