Uisce Éireann says it’s definitely not to blame for recent beach closures

UISCE Éireann has said it is not responsible for any factors which led to the recent closure of both Owenahincha and Rosscarbery beaches.

BY DAVID FORSYTHE  & SIOBHÁN CRONIN

In a statement issued to The Southern Star this week, it said there were many other factors which could have led to the detection of bacteria in the water at the popular strands, including agricultural run-off, rainfall and domestic septic tanks.

A meeting held in Rosscarbery’s Celtic Ross Hotel last weekend to address the ongoing issue of water pollution at local beaches heard a local business owner explain how the closures are impacting tourism.

The Warren has had ongoing issues with water quality for several years, with confusion over whether a local water treatment plant, or agricultural run-off, or both, are to blame.

In the past two months the Warren has been closed for bathing twice, while nearby Owenahicha was closed once.

Local business owner Shane Goggin, who runs a coffee truck at the Warren strand, said that the ongoing closures have had a major impact on local tourism.

‘In 2022 it was booming, we were open every day and most days we had two people working. Then in August when the beach was ordered closed, it was like armageddon. Everybody rushed out of the water,' he said.

‘Last year it was quieter and this year people are just not going into the water, it’s like a dead zone.

‘The truck has been closed more days than it’s open and it’s just so sad to see this happening. I was born and raised in Rosscarbery and this is the first year I haven’t gone into the water,’ he said.

Sinéad and Shane Goggin from Rosscarbery were at the meeting. (Photo: Andy Gibson)

Resident Sean Mannion, who lives near the beach, said that on a recent fine Sunday he observed about a dozen people on the beach. ‘Two years ago,’ he added, there would have been over a hundred.’

The meeting also heard that up to 100 local children take part in surf lifesaving courses at the Warren on Sunday mornings but the programme is now under threat because of the pollution issues.

Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan said he believes the treatment plant, located on a headland between the two beaches, was the principal cause of the problem. He noted that nearby beaches at Inchydoney and Courtmacsherry no longer experienced problems with water quality since their local treatment plants were upgraded.

Deputy O’Sullivan suggested the local community should provide evidence that faeces is being discharged into the sea. Senator Tim Lombard said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was responsible for enforcing legal requirements around water quality, and had the ultimate power to force Uisce Éireann into action.

Méabh Hourihane; Séamus Hayes and Collen Duggan from Rosscarbery at the meeting. (Photo: Andy Gibson)

Following the meeting, Social Democrats’ Cllr Isobel Towse said the beach lost its Blue Flag status in 2022 due to poor water quality, but local people are determined to get it back.

‘According to the EPA, 9 of the 22 pollution incidents at the Warren over the last 10 years have been attributed to suspected agricultural activity. We can talk all day about the wastewater treatment plant – and we absolutely must until it is upgraded – but we also need to acknowledge the impact of agriculture and come up with viable solutions.’ She said the need for new agri-schemes that actually work and are attractive to farmers is a nationwide issue.

‘None of this should be directed at individual farms, particularly while the sector is being thrown so many challenges.’

She said she has asked the Council to test the Warren year-round, because people are using the water in the winter, too. ‘Importantly, testing outside the bathing season doesn’t affect Blue Flag status but is essential for the health and confidence of beach users,’ she said.

She added that, during a ‘face-to-face’ meeting with Uisce Éireann in July, she was told that the EPA’s licensing was ‘too strong’. ‘I wholeheartedly disagree with this defence from Uisce Éireann,’ she added.

‘I trust the community’s instincts on this issue, backed by the EPA’s assessments. We must now focus our efforts on forcing Uisce Éireann to acknowledge that this wastewater treatment plant needs upgrading and get it on the next capital investment plan.’

She said she has formally invited the EPA and Uisce Éireann to the next meeting, scheduled for September 2nd.

Michael Walsh and Jerry Nagle from Rosscarbery at the meeting. (Photo: Andy Gibson)

Uisce Éireann (UE), in a statement, said that bathing water quality is contingent on a number of factors including rainfall, owerflows from wastewater collection systems, runoff from roads, agriculture, private septic tank discharges, animal waste and leaks and spills. It carried out an investigation of its own assets following the Do Not Swim Notice imposed on July 16th and found no indication of discharges that may have impacted on bathing water. It claims it is not responsible for the factors that led to the Do Not Swim Notice.

It says the notice issued on August 12th was due to localised storm conditions. UE said that the EPA has confirmed that last year local authorities put up ‘prior warning’ notices at beaches to warn swimmers that short-term pollution may occur due to heavy rainfall.

‘As a State utility, when an incident occurs at a wastewater treatment works site Uisce Éireann is required to report such incidents to the EPA,’ it said.

A section of the large crowd at the meeting in the Celtic Ross Hotel. (Photo: Andy Gibson)

Uisce Éireann also said that both Warren Strand and Owenahincha beaches meet the requirements of bathing water quality regulations, achieving classifications of ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ in 2023. Recent sampling on August 13th and 14th returned ‘excellent’ bathing water quality at both beaches.

‘The EPA have identified a number of local waterbodies, rivers and streams in the vicinity of the beaches which are failing to meet water framework directive objectives and have been identified as having a significant pressure on water quality. These pressures were identified in the river basin management plan and can be seen on the EPA website,’ said the statement. And it confirmed that ‘at present, there are no upgrade works underway or planned for the wastewater treatment works.’