Two south Dublin beaches closed over E.coli levels in bathing waters

Two of south Co Dublin's most popular beaches, Killiney beach and the adjoining White Rock cove, were closed until further notice on Saturday due to bacterial contamination of bathing water.

Access to the beaches, which on a bank holiday weekend would normally attract large numbers of people, were restricted because of elevated levels of E.coli found in tests.

Bathing prohibition warning notices were posted by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council “advising the public not to swim at these locations until further notice”.

Killiney beach regained its blue flag earlier this year after a five-year absence.

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Daily swimmers at both beaches were told they would reopen by the end of the week at the earliest. The local authority said updates would be issued on its website, on social media outlets and at each of the designated bathing areas.

Fine Gael Senator Barry Ward tweeted that the closure of Killiney beach "is very disappointing to see, particularly after the good work done for the blue flag".

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which oversees the monitoring of bathing waters by local authorities, began to monitor White Rock last year for the first time.

Additional sampling and testing of the bathing water is being carried out, and results will be made available on www.beaches.ie, the council said.

There was, however, no indication of the water quality problems posted on the website on Sunday. It is supposed to warn the public where it is unsafe to swim on a regular basis between June 1st and September 15th – the height of the bathing season.

Restrictions

The only other restrictions in Co Dublin indicated on the website on Sunday were Balbriggan Front Strand, because of poor quality over last summer, and Merrion Strand, which has been declassified because of persistent poor water quality over the past five years.

The continuing problems with water quality in Dublin Bay – notably at locations in north Co Dublin, near Irish Water's wastewater treatment works at Ringsend and in Seapoint – have led users of the amenity to call for year-round testing.

Testing at bathing locations was resumed only recently coinciding with the traditional swimming season. More testing has been sought particularly because of the big increase in year-round swimming which has occurred during the pandemic.