Bathing water among the best in Europe

Bathing water quality in the State is among the best in Europe with just three out of 122 beaches failing mandatory EU pollution limits in 2004.

That is according to the Environmental Protection Agency Bathing Water Quality in Ireland Report 2004 which found 98 per cent of Irish bathing waters complied with EU mandatory values - a rise of one per cent on 2003.

The beaches where water quality failed to meet basic standards of cleanliness were Balbriggan and Skerries in north County Dublin and Dunmore East Main Strand, in Co Waterford. As in previous years beaches in the west and southwest enjoyed the highest levels of water quality.

The more populous east coast was largely dependent on the presence of waste water treatment plants.

Some beaches on the south coast suffered from an algal bloom during testing times.

However, water improvement was most noted in large areas of Dublin Bay, a factor which the EPA put down to the commissioning of the controversial Ringsend waste water treatment plant.

The only exception to the general improvement in the bay area was Merrion Strand where water quality disimproved since 2003, but still reached the mandatory EU level.

In all, 131 inland and coastal bathing places were sampled throughout last summer's bathing season by the EPA.

Three standards were applied to the water tests; the minimum EU mandatory standards in which just three sites failed; a higher EU "guideline value" which was not reached in a further 12 sites and the most stringent test, the National Limit Values, where a total of 30 beaches failed.

The beaches which failed the higher EU guideline values were: Bray beach in Co Wicklow; Clifden and Spiddal in Co Galway; Coolmaine, Redbarn and Fountainstown in Co Cork; Laytown/Bettystown in Co Meath; Loughshinny, Rush and Sutton Burrow beaches in north County Dublin and Merrion and Sandymount strands in Dublin city.

Additional beaches which failed national standards were Seapoint, Portmarnock, Portrane, in Co Dublin; Inverin Portumna and Na Forbacha in Co Galway; Inny at Waterville and White strand in Cahirciveen in Co Kerry; Keeldra in Co Leitrim; Bertra in Co Mayo; Tramore Strand in Waterford; Ballymoney, Courtown north, Curracloe, Duncannon, Morriscastle and Rosslare Strand in Co Wexford and Brittas Bay North and Brittas Bay South in Co Wicklow.

Overall the EPA said the percentage of sites in compliance with the EU guideline values was 88 per cent - up from 85 per cent in 2003. The percentage in compliance with the national values was 76 per cent.

Compliance with European water quality standards peaked in 2000 with 92 per cent of bathing sites complying with the higher EU guideline values.

This had fallen to 85 per cent in 2002 and 2003 but increased last year to 88 per cent in 2004.