CORK County Council has lifted the ‘no swim’ advisory notices at the Warren Strand in Rosscarbery and Owenahincha, but Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan has said serious questions need to be asked of Uisce Éireann’s handling of a local wastewater treatment plant.
Deputy O’Sullivan, who attended a Rosscarbery Heritage Event at the Celtic Ross Hotel on Sunday, said it was ‘very positive and encouraging to see such care and attention being given to the estuary in Rosscarbery’.
But he said the good work carried out locally could be undone if s the level of bacteria entering the bay is not reduced.
‘At Sunday’s event, attention turned to the wastewater treatment plant and questions were asked whether it is operating successfully or not,’ said the TD.
‘For me, it is very obvious there is an issue. Of all the beaches that have been served no swim notices in West Cork, it just so happens that Owenahincha and the Warren are directly to the east and west of this wastewater treatment plant.
‘I don’t think we can ignore that, so further answers will certainly have to be given from Uisce Éireann in that regard,’ he added.
Local businessman and Fine Gael Cllr Noel O’Donovan said the recent prohibition and advisory bathing notices at both the Warren and Owenahincha beaches ‘angered and frustrated all in the community’ to levels not seen before.
‘I live in Rosscarbery and work in our family business in the town. I see and hear first-hand the effects these events have on our local community and visiting tourists,’ he said.
The Warren Beach in Rosscarbery‘We need the relevant agencies – Cork County Council and Uisce Éireann – to find the source of this pollution and work on long-term solutions,’ he added.
It was after a highly-publicised pollution event at the Warren in 2022 that an action group was formed consisting of members of the Tidy Towns, Community Council, Carbery Rangers GAA, Historical Society, Rowing Club, Business Association and Rosscarbery Festival.
‘The group, of which I am a member, has met and liaised with Uisce Éireann and Cork County Council a number of times since its formation,’ said the councillor.
‘Blame for the pollution has widely been accredited locally to the waste storage tanks at Creggane, which release into the sea,’ he added.
He noted that in 2023, Uisce Éireann committed to increasing desludging of these tanks during the busy tourist season.
Representatives of the water facility also agreed to carry out assessments and studies of a long-term solution and the upgrading of the treatment plant.
‘The first stage assessments commenced in 2023 and locals were advised that these would take two years to complete,’ he added.
However, in a recent communiqué, the water company stated: ‘At present, there are no upgrade works underway or planned for Rosscarbery wastewater treatment plant.’
The company confirmed that an impact assessment under the south cork regional marine modelling study for Rosscarbery – Owenahincha is at the phase 1 environmental scoping report (ESR) stage.
‘This is the first step on a capital project process with the outputs used to inform and assess needs and future investment requirements,’ the company representative stated.
But Cllr O’Donovan said capital upgrades take time, as do assessment, environmental reports, and applications for funding. He said more urgent solutions are needed to protect the water quality at the Warren and Owenahincha.
Meanwhile, Cork County Council, which is charged with testing water quality, confirmed that the no swim notices were lifted on August 15th.
A spokesperson for the local authority said this was done following comprehensive follow-up monitoring by the environment directorate, and in consultation with the HSE. ‘Final test results made available showed that the water quality at both beaches was at excellent status,’ the spokesperson added.
The Southern Star also asked Uisce Éireann for a comment.
