Cllr. Marie Baker

To ask the Chief Executive to bring a report to this Area Committee outlining the measures taken to record water quality at our swimming locations along the coastline and to explain the outcome of the data recorded?”
Reply:
Under the Bathing Water Quality Regulations 2008 Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) have a requirement to implement specific actions when E-Coli or Intestinal Enterococci (IE) levels are higher than specified limits in order to inform and manage health risks to bathers. The HSE recommended actions include to either issue a bathing prohibition notice or issue an advisory notice to the public. Such
notices are communicated to the public via fixed notice boards at the bathing water location and warning notices at the entrances to the beach. Notifications are also issued via the national bathing water website www.beaches.ie and further notifications are relayed by DLRCC twitter account and announcements are made on local radio. All incidents affecting the water quality of bathing waters are to be notified to the EPA. Bathing water incidents with the potential to impact on bather’s health are to be notified to the HSE.
Further detail on the steps and reporting mechanisms are outlined in the Bathing Water Quality Sampling, Reporting and Incident Management Plan 2021 that is agreed with the HSE in advance of the bathing season. HSE recommended actions are also outlined in this document in the event of differing bacterial sample results during the bathing season.