A LOCAL committee has called a public meeting to discuss the high bacteria levels and no-swim notices which were placed last week at the Warren (Rosscarbery) and Owenahincha beaches.
It was the second time in recent weeks that a ’no swim’ notice was placed at the busy Warren strand – one of West Cork’s most popular family beaches.
Local spokesperson Denis Calnan confirmed that a public meeting will be held at 8pm at the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery on Monday September 2nd. In the meantime, Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan has called another public meeting for 7pm on Thursday August 22nd, which will also take place at the Celtic Ross.
‘We have called the meeting to update locals and we are inviting our three local TDs and local councillors to address growing concerns about the pollution events at Rosscarbery,’ Mr Calnan told The Southern Star.
He said the local committee held a number of meetings, as well as engaging in extensive correspondence with both Cork County Council and Uisce Éireann, in relation to the high levels of bacteria in the water.
Mr Calnan confirmed that a number of intermediary measures were sought by the group to help prevent the recurrence of what happened on previous occasions and these measures were implemented.
However, he said, it is now clear that what is needed is a significant capital investment to update the wastewater treatment plant, which serves both Rosscarbery and Owenahincha.
It is still unclear if power outages and heavy rainfall caused the outdated wastewater treatment plant to overflow, or if agricultural run-off contributed to the problem.
In the interest of public health, Cork County Council put up the advisory notice – warning people not to swim at the Warren – on Monday following the localised storm conditions on Sunday.
The Council said it had consulted with the HSE about the advisory notice and that further microbiological tests will be carried out in the coming days.
A second notice, advising people not to swim at nearby Owenahincha, was posted by Cork County Council last Tuesday.
‘Despite Uisce Éireann denying responsibility for the recent spikes in contamination, local residents have voiced strong concerns that the wastewater treatment plant is failing,’ said Deputy O’Sullivan.
Meanwhile, local businessman and Fine Gael Cllr Noel O’Donovan complained that pollution at the Warren is ‘not only annual, it’s becoming weekly.’
He said Dunmanway, Shannonvale, the Warren and Owenahincha are four areas that are in urgent need of investment in its wastewater infrastructure.
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