THE beaches at Balcarrick in Donabate and Portmarnock will be among those hoping to win Blue Flags when the awards for the 2016 bathing season are announced this Thursday, May 26.
Fingal County Council applied to An Taisce for these two beaches to be considered for the award.
The Blue Flag is a worldwide award that beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators seek as an indication of their high environmental and quality standards. The Fingal beaches will be looking to pass a range of criteria including environmental education and information provision, water quality, environmental management and safety and services in order to secure the accolade.
Rush’s South Beach and Loughshinny Beach will definitely not be given the award amid water quality concerns.
Bernie Kelly, Irish Officer/Staff Officer for Fingal County Council, said an ‘advice against bathing’ restriction will be applied to these two beaches for the 2016 season.
“Rush South Beach and Loughshinny Beach have been classified as having poor water quality based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2012 to 2015,” Ms Kelly told Northside People.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a major portion of Rush South Beach is currently not served by a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
The EPA suggests that a combination of dog fouling, dysfunctional domestic wastewater systems and surface water outfalls could potentially be posing a threat to the South Beach’s water quality. It said similar factors arising from the Rush situation might also be causing issues with water bathing quality at Loughshinny Beach.
Phase 3 of the Balbriggan-Skerries Wastewater Treatment Plant Project includes the provision of pumping stations at Loughshinny which will transfer sewage to the plant at Barnageeragh for treatment, according to the EPA’s website. Fingal County Council has prepared management plans for improving the water quality at Rush South Beach and Loughshinny Beach.
Ms Kelly said: “ While a blue flag award is desirable, it has been our experience in the past that the lack of Blue Flag status has not affected local and visitor footfall on our beaches.”
REPORT: Brein McGinn