Ballyloughane Beach likely to be closed for all of Summer 2015

One of Galway’s favourite beaches is likely to be closed to swimmers for the entire bathing season in 2015.

The local authority has conceded that a ‘Do Not Swim’ notice will be put in place at Ballyloughane Beach in Renmore for the duration of next summer.

The bathing ban at Ballyloughane is expected to be officially confirmed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) early in the New Year because of poor water quality at the beach.

And the ‘Do Not Swim’ lockdown will be put in place, despite improvements to infrastructure that have been implemented this year, and which are planned in the coming year.

Director of Services, Tom Connell, in a briefing to the Council’s Environment SPC, conceded bathing will be banned in 2015 because water quality does not meet EPA standards.

He said: “An assessment will be carried out by the EPA on the classification status of Ballyloughane for 2015. It is likely however based on the results of the four-year assessment period (2011-2014) that the bathing water will be classified as ‘poor’ and will require a ‘Do Not Swim’ notice for 2015 bathing season in accordance with the regulations.

“Even though works have been carried out which should have a positive impact on water quality, sample results from a full bathing season will still be required before a reassessment of the classification can be carried out. Further advice on this is likely to issue from the EPA.”

The beach was closed to bathers twice in the summer just gone because twice the water quality was considered unsafe for swimmers.

Samples were taken on 19 occasions during the summer, with water deemed ‘poor’ twice, ‘sufficient’ once, ‘good’ once and ‘excellent’ on 15 occasions. This was the fourth year in a row that samples revealed poor quality water at Ballyloughane.

Independent Galway City councillor Terry O’Flaherty has demanded the local authority and Irish Water ‘fast-track’ remedial works to safeguard the quality of water at Ballyloughane.

At a meeting with herself, Galway West TD Noel Grealish, City Council officials, and Irish Water, the source of the water contamination was identified and a plan of works agreed.

Cllr O’Flaherty said: “The meeting was very productive and an undertaking was given to fund and prioritise the works required to resolve the ongoing pollution and sewage problems from the three outfalls that are spilling into the bathing waters in Ballyloughane.”

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune