#COASTAL NOTES - Some of Cork's most popular beaches have been closed to bathers over concerns at elevated levels of E.coli in the water.
According to The Irish Times, the bathing ban affects the blue flag beaches at Garretstown near Kinsale, Redbarn at Youghal and Garryvoe, while other beaches affected include Coolmaine near Kilbittain, Oysterhaven and two other stretches in Youghal.
Water runoff from the heavy rainfall experienced in the county earlier in the summer has been blamed for the increase of the dangerous bacteria above mandatory EU safety levels.
This is similar to that which caused the closure of bathing and surfing spots on the Clare coast last month, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.
The Irish Examiner explains that E.coli is commonly found in slurry, much of which has been washed from farms into the sea as a result of the record rains of recent weeks.
The situation has been compounded by southerly winds which have prevented the dispersal of the polluted water from the coastline.
Cork County Council has contacted the HSE and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and will carry out further inspections of water quality tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Cork County Mayor and Youghal Councillor Barbara Murray has called for improvements to the water sampling process.
“You don’t just do this on a Monday and decide you are not going to do it again until the following Monday," she said. “So I would be suggesting that it would be done on a more regular basis and that the results be brought in as soon as possible."
The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.
