Call for urgent meeting after pollution incident at Portmarnock’s Velvet Strand

THE Social Democrats councillor for Howth-Malahide, Joan Hopkins, has demanded an immediate meeting between Fingal County Council, Irish Water and the EPA following a serious pollution incident in Portmarnock.

Cllr Hopkins said: “I have serious concerns about the number of incidents over the last number of months that have resulted in the temporary removal of the Blue Flag status from the Velvet Strand in Portmarnock.

“I commend the council’s efforts to maintain this Blue Flag and we are all rightly proud and protective of such a beautiful beach with excellent water quality on our doorstep.

“The issues of raw sewage polluting our waters are well highlighted because of Portmarnock’s Blue Flag status but these issues are also impacting on Malahide, Baldoyle, the Burrow and Balscadden beaches and beyond.

“The main cause of pollution at Portmarnock beach has been related to heavy rainfall events. The pumping station in Portmarnock was not designed to deal with these events which we know are going to occur more and more frequently due to climate change.

“In times of heavy rainfall, the pumping station does not have the capacity to deal with the large volume of additional flow coming into it, so it goes to overflow. This means that the excess, usually very short-term liquid that the pump cannot get through the system, will be spilled to overflow.

“More and more people are finding solace and joy during these Covid times by taking up sea swimming.

Baldoyle Bay, adjacent to Portmarnock Beach, is SAC protected and the whole area forms part of the Dublin Bay UNESCO Biosphere, home to some 20,000 birds and marine wildlife.

“This week, the Brent geese arrived early from their 5,000 km journey. They come here to feed for the winter so we must make sure that the place is habitable for them after their epic journey.

“People should also be reminded to look for the flag on the beach. If the Blue Flag is not flying then you should not swim. Alternatively, you should ensure that you check the Fingal website for alerts.”