Galway beaches ‘could lose Blue Flags’

Salthill’s beaches are at risk of losing their Blue Flag status due to repeated pollution incidents along the coast, a local councillor has warned.

Following “exceptional heavy rainfall” combined with high tides, two overflow incidents occurred at Mutton Island Waste Water Treatment Plant on Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

As a consequence, Galway City Council were forced to put a precautionary ‘Bathing Prohibition Notice’ on Grattan Road Beach from early evening on Tuesday, while advisory notices of possible pollution were also placed at all Salthill beaches.

These overflows pose a risk to public health as they contain untreated water from the city’s storm shores – meaning that dangerous bacteria from the streets, including animal excrement could contaminate bathing water.

Cllr Donal Lyons (Ind) has called for the capacity of the Mutton Island facility to be urgently reviewed in order to protect the Salthill’s Blue Flag – and to avoid risk pollution spreading to Silverstrand.

“With the heavy rain, a lot of the surface water goes to Mutton Island and because there was such heavy rain over the weekend and early this week, there was an overflow. I would be concerned that this could become an ongoing issue.

“If one day of heavy rain can cause this, what would happen if we had a week of it – which is a real possibility with climate change,” he said

See full story in this week’s Galway City Tribune.