Bathing water quality

The quality of Ireland’s bathing water is extremely high. Almost all of our bathing sites meet or exceed the strict European Union standards.

Good quality bathing water is an excellent natural resource for recreational use, as well as being an important factor in Ireland’s economy. Ireland possesses some of the best waters in northern Europe. We have put regulations in place to:

• improve health protection for bathers by introducing stricter standards for water quality and a new method of assessment
• establish a more pro-active approach to the assessment of possible pollution risks and the management of bathing waters
• promote increased public involvement and spread improved information on bathing water quality to the general public.

In Ireland, local authorities are responsible for bathing water quality in their areas. This includes monitoring bathing water quality and giving information to the public on water quality during the summer bathing season. You can view the most up to date information on bathing water quality at designated sites on the splash website.

You can find further information on bathing water quality on the EPA website.

Ireland has experienced an increase in the popularity of year-round bathing in recent years. As a result, the National Bathing Water Expert Group (BWEG), chaired by the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage, commissioned University College Cork to carry out research to examine practicable approaches to improving the management of bathing water quality, and bather health risk, outside of the designated summer season. You can view the research study below.

Supporting Policy Development for Out-of-Season Bathing in Ireland

The Blue Flag scheme has been operating in Ireland since 1988. It is an internationally recognised quality standard for coastal amenities. A Blue flag is a sign of a clean, well-managed coastal amenity, meeting high safety and environmental standards. A blue flag also shows excellent water quality standards, set by European and national regulation, have been met.

In Ireland, we give financial assistance to An Taisce to run the Blue Flag scheme. It is a voluntary scheme, operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The European Jury of the FEE decides the quality criteria set for Blue Flags and the awarding of Blue Flags.

To apply for Blue Flag status, a bathing area must be a designated under Bathing Water Quality Regulations and comply with the guideline standards laid down in the European Union Bathing Waters Directive. These two conditions must be met in the bathing season of the year prior to application.

Furthermore, the bathing area must meet requirements in relation to the facilities available and general management at the beach. Evidence of plans for environmental improvements and future environmental education projects are also taken into account when a decision to award a Blue Flag is made. Further information about the scheme can be found at An Taisce Blue Flag Scheme.

For further details on bathing water quality in Ireland, please email wau@housing.gov.ie or contact us in the Water Advisory Unit on +353 (0)1 888 2000.