Water quality remains an issue at West Cork beach

Two ‘do not swim’ notices were issued at Warren Beach in West Cork this month and last month due to high levels of bacteria in the water – both were lifted a few days later. A public meeting was held recently to address growing concerns surrounding the Rosscarbery Waste Water Treatment Plant. Locals have made repeated calls for the current facility to be updated.

Shane Goggin, owner of Drip Coffee which has a truck at the Warren Beach and a coffee shop in the square of Rosscarbery, said the issue is ongoing and incredibly damaging to the town.

Mr Goggin explained that in July “the beach was closed down again and a red flag was imposed meaning that bathing was prohibited for the general public. It was closed due to high levels of bacteria (E.coli) in the water.

“This was after the incident in August of 2022. That particular day was our busiest day to date with thousands of people on the beach on what was one of the hottest days of the summer.

“Sometime in the afternoon, like a scene from a movie, everyone was immediately evacuated from the sea due to high levels of E Coli.

“Subsequently, a meeting was held in the Celtic Ross Hotel where promises were made that the treatment plant would be monitored weekly and regular desludging would occur. But here we are again.”

He added: “At this stage, it is a public health emergency. It is unacceptable that this keeps happening and I can tell you that from speaking to the people who frequently swim in the Warren, they have lost all confidence in the beach and many refuse to now bathe there.

“People are confused. Is it human sewage? Is it farm sewage? Why does it keep happening in the peak of our tourist season? We can’t seem to get any answers and those who have the answers are refusing to take any accountability for what is happening at our beach.”

Mr Goggin said the only solution is a new treatment facility, adding “this not only affects the Warren but it is detrimental to tourism in Rosscarbery and the wider areas.”

He asked, “Why would tourists want to return to Rosscarbery year after year when the beach regularly closes due to sewage flying around the ocean? It is appalling and disgusting and something needs to be done before Rosscarbery is no longer viewed as a viable tourist destination. We have one of the most beautiful beaches in Ireland. The Warren needs to be protected.”

Former lifeguard Claire O’Regan explained that they had a similar incident in 2010, resulting in the loss of their blue flag.

“That was 14 years ago, so it’s an ongoing issue,” she said. “People sharing about these incidents doesn’t give the Warren a good name, which is such a shame because it’s a lovely beach and so safe.”

This year, “the surf school, the sauna would have been affected by it too so there’s an awful knock-on effect. The beach closed the day after the Galley Head Swim which finishes in the Warren, so that race mightn’t have been able to go ahead.”

Cork South West Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan said: “The Warren Beach is paradise, it’s one of the gems among all Irish beaches and it’s so important for Rosscarbery and the surrounding area.

“For the residents it’s an important amenity and the tourists come to Rosscarbery specifically for the Warren. It has a massive boost on businesses, hotels, cafes, restaurants, they really rely on footfall.

“When you have no-swim notices, it badly impacts the reputation of the beach, that’s probably the hardest thing – the reputational damage.

“It takes four years of clean, clear tests for a beach to get a blue flag, this means it will be four more years before the Warren gets a blue flag, and for such a stunning and safe beach, that’s an absolute shame.

“There has to be a long-term solution, the current watewaster treatment plant clearly isn’t working, the other beaches around are not failing tests for e.coli, so the plant needs replacing – that’s my priority.”

Councillor Noel O’Donovan, whose family also own a business in Rosscarbery, told The Echo: “It’s been happening for 20 years, on and off, season after season, so for anyone local to Ross, unfortunately it’s not a new phenomenom. It’s been going on for too long. The response from Uisce Éireann is very vague. They say we’re being included in a study, but what are the timelines? We’ve been getting this response for a while.

“It’s challenging to raise the issue, because you don’t want to portray your town or area in a negative light, but it’s gotten to a level that unless we highlight these issues nothing will change – there’s enough talking done, we need action.”

Mr O’Donovan called for better practice in the treatment plant, saying that at the moment, the water is not treated, just stored and solids removed before the water is allowed to release back into the area, and that there is no lunar clock, which could ensure that the waste is released when the tide is going in.

He added: “There’s no doubt that the water quality, which is only tested during summer bathing season, has issues all year round.”

Social Democrats councillor Isobel Towse agreed. “I’ve asked the council to test the Warren all year round, not just during the bathing season, because people swim there virtually every day of the year. I think the risks for E.coli warrant testing during the winter too.”

Ms Towse met with Uisce Éireann in person last week with TD Holly Cairns to discuss wastewater issues in Shannonvale, and also questioned them on the Warren.

She told The Echo: “The wastewater treatment plant discharging at the Warren has an Amber status – what that means is it has adequate capacity, but the discharge from it isn’t reaching the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency’s, standards. Therefore the EPA thinks the wastewater there needs secondary treatment (basically an extra level), before it is discharged into the sea.

“Uisce Éireann are of the opinion that the level of filtration at the warren is adequate, but that the EPA’s standards are just too high.

“Now I would take huge issue with this, considering all the E.coli outbreaks at the Warren every year. But Uisce Éireann seemed to think the high E.coli levels are from agricultural activities, not the WWTP [wastewater treatment plant] on the headland.”

She explained that the marine survey will attempt to rule out for definite the source of e.coli being from the plant, but the survey is not scheduled for completion until the end of 2026.

Ms Towse said: “I don’t think we need this marine survey at all. I trust the EPA’s water quality analysis at the wastewater treatment plant and they’re labelling it as “amber” status requiring it to need additional filtration – it discharges 350 metres from the shore, sometimes on an incoming tide. People have seen sewage plumes in the sea.

“So the way I see it is, Uisce Éireann are totally under resourced and that is a budgetary decision from the government of the day.

“So I don’t have any doubt they are skirting areas that they know don’t currently have the capacity to fix, when they have to prioritise places that have no wastewater infrastructure.” Ms Towse said she would continue pushing for more community engagement between Uisce Éireann and the public. Another meeting is scheduled for September 2. A spokesperson for Uisce Éireann said: “Uisce Éireann carried out an investigation of assets in the area following the Do Not Swim Notice imposed on 16 July. Uisce Éireann found no indication of discharges that may have impacted on bathing water and contributed to the Do Not Swim Notice. Uisce Éireann are not responsible for the drivers that led to the Do Not Swim Notice.”

Similarly, they said: “The Advisory Do Not Swim Notice issued by the council on 12 August was due to localised storm conditions,” adding that the EPA has highlighted previously that short-term pollution may occur due to heavy rainfall.” They continued: “Typically, where wastewater treatment works are impacting on a Designated Bathing Water, these impacts are usually evident in the long-term bathing water quality monitoring data at the bathing water. Uisce Éireann notes that both Warren Strand and Owenahincha beaches meet the requirements of the SI 79:2008 Bathing Water Quality Regulations. Recent sampling on the 13th and 14th of August returned “Excellent” bathing water quality at both beaches.

“At present, there are no upgrade works underway or planned for the wastewater treatment works. An impact assessment under the South Cork Marine Modelling study area which includes the Rosscarbery-Owenahincha agglomeration, is at the Phase 1 Environmental Scoping Report stage. This is the first step on a capital project process with the outputs used to inform and assess needs and future investment requirements.”