Sewage in water closes Galway beach again
Bathing was banned at Ballyloughane Beach for the second time in a month due to dangerously high levels of sewage in the water that could cause illness to swimmers.
Beachgoers were again warned this week to stay out of the water after high levels of E Coli and Intestinal Enterococci were detected in the sea at the popular Renmore beach.
The ban was imposed on Wednesday after samples taken on Monday confirmed dangerously high levels of the pollutants that pose a serious risk to public health and safety. More sampling has been carried out and authorities are hopeful the ban can be lifted this weekend, if the results get the all-clear.
Paul Hickey, senior environmental health officer at the Health Service Executive (HSE) West, notified Galway City Council of the high levels of pollutants in the water, which included E Coli (504/100ml) and Enterocci (960/100ml).
“The result is unsatisfactory and the HSE recommends immediate implementation of a bathing prohibition at this beach in line with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines concerning short term pollution events, to include the posting of agreed notices at prominent locations at the beach including at the lifeguard hut,” Mr Hickey told Sinead Johnstone, an engineer in the Environment section at City Hall, in an email.
Immediately Ms Johnstone said notices were posted at the beach warning swimmers that the water was unsafe to bathe and life guards were also informed. In its notices at the beach, the Council said the likely cause of the high levels was “pollution as a result of combined storm overflow following heavy rainfall on August 11”.
Intestinal Enterococci are typically excreted in the faeces of humans and other warm-blooded animals.
For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune