UPDATE: Yellow scum at Mountcharles pier not harmful says EPA

UPDATE: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tested the water and the substance and says it is harmless. Read more here

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Bathers hoping to enjoy a dip in the morning sunshine at Mountcharles Pier on Thursday were met with disappointment - and grave concerns about a substance on the water. 

One regular dipper described it as smelling like an industrial cleaning chemical, while another said: “We have seen a lot of different stuff on the water over the last few years but never anything like this. I am definitely not going in. I am getting a headache just from being near it.”

By low tide at lunchtime, the yellowish scum had left a lot of residue on the sea bed, the pier wall and on the underside of the floating pontoon. The chemical smell remained evident, localised to the slipway side of the pier. 

It was very different in colour and texture to the naturally occuring scum that can often appear on the water when there is a combination of spring tides and warm weather. 

The matter has been reported to Donegal County Council. 

Cllr Noel Jordan (SF) said: “I have asked that this be tested as soon as possible so that we can get to the bottom of it.

“I don’t want to speculate on what it is until we have the results.

“We know there have been issues with the water here in the past and there have been reports of people becoming sick. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) carries out tests every month and they have found no bacteria as yet that would cause illness.

“The wastewater treatment plant has always been a source of concern despite reports that the water being discharged from it was fully treated. I have been pushing for work to get underway on the new treatment plant, and that is ready to start now I am glad to say.”

Another explanation that was put forward for previous water issues was the presence of a fungus.

“This was detected in a number of areas including Mountcharles and further round the coast at Kilcar,” said Cllr Jordan. “Unfortunately if it is something that is caused by climate change, it is a complex problem."

No explanation has yet been provided for Thursday morning’s substance, but it is a very worrying development for water users.

Though not a designated bathing area under the Blue Flag scheme, the area is very popular with sea swimmers, pier jumpers and other water sports participants.

It is also rich in biodiversity with a wealth of sea birds, waders and marine life along the shore.