Call for realtime EPA information on water quality in Donegal

A Donegal councillor has called for bodies tasked with checking water quality to share their findings publicly.

Cllr Noel Jordan (SF) raised the matter at the May meeting of the Municipal District (MD) of Donegal.

“Last week a substance came in around the coast of Donegal, from Malin Head down to Muckorss and Mountcharles,” he said.

“It was reported by people going for their morning swim. The EPA section of the council has been monitoring this. “When I was first contacted about it by concerned people that were down at Mountcharles Pier, I contacted them and they came out on that day and allayed any fears. They sent back results next morning

“They were also monitoring a number of blue flags and bathing areas.

“Is there any way the EPA could, if these instances were happening, publish the results once the areas were tested? They can let people know if they are weather related, pollen, etc. 

“When somebody reports an incident like that to me, I am going back to them with the results. Surely there should be a responsibility from that section to say, ‘We are monitoring around the coast, this is the result.

“People are having to take my word for it that it is safe.”

Suzanne Bogan from Donegal County Council’s Environment section said that while bathing water season was open, the results were posted on beaches.ie for designated bathing waters. 

Regarding the wider issue, she said: “I can ask the lab to think about how they relay that information.”