A report on Irish bathing waters, details of which will be published today by the Environmental Protection Agency, notes a deterioration in quality during 1998 based on EU guideline standards.
These indicate that only 80 per cent of bathing places - mostly coastal locations - complied with limits that are likely to become mandatory.
In previous years almost 84 per cent of Irish bathing sites attained the EU guideline standards, which are currently regarded as water quality levels that bathing waters are "encouraged to attain".
The report by the EPA, which includes an evaluation of freshwater locations, must be submitted annually to the European Commission. The deterioration may be due to higher than normal rainfall last summer, according to the agency. "It is hoped that this is only a temporary situation and for the coming season the trend can be reversed," it notes.
The EPA evaluates figures based on sampling of 130 of the most popular locations for bathing, including nine inland sites - which must be sampled every two weeks between mid-May and the end of August. If a deterioration is observed or suspected, monitoring must be increased. Key indicators are bacterial contamination arising from sewage; mineral levels and tarry residues in addition to other potential pollutants, particularly on the water surface.
A total of 97 out of 121 sea water locations complied with the guideline values, rising to 119 when minimum mandatory standards were applied. With fresh water locations, eight out of nine complied with the guideline values and all nine were within the minimum standards.
The EPA report, nonetheless, concludes that the overall quality of bathing water remains very good, with 98.4 per cent compliance under minimum standards set under EU law - but two sites failed to meet these less rigorous criteria during 1998, compared to four in 1997.
They were the main strand at Dunmore, Co Waterford, and Lady's Bay in Co Donegal. The latter failed because of insufficient monitoring - the full EPA report is due to be published later this month when locations not complying with guideline values will be listed.
Meanwhile, coinciding with the start of the silage-making season, the Irish Farmers' Association has initiated a new campaign to alert farmers to the risks to water quality from silage effluent.
In radio advertisements to be carried over the summer, they will be advised to regularly check their holdings, particularly in relation to drainage during and after silage-making. The IFA would also underline the central role farmers play in protecting the rural environment.
