Swimmers take the plunge in campaign for clean water

Swimmers take the plunge in campaign for clean water

20 August 2014

ALMOST 500 bathers took to the waters of several Lecale beaches on Saturday as part of a campaign to secure clean bathing water status.

The beaches between Strangford and Killough are seeking EU bathing water status which, if it is secured, will increase the pressure on Northern Ireland Water (NIW) to introduce more comprehensive sewage treatment facilities along the coast.

Before NIW will act the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) must designate the beaches as having EU bathing water status which, to date, it has failed to do. The only EU designated bathing waters in Down District are at Tyrella and Murlough beaches.

On Saturday bathers from Newcastle Swimming Club joined hundreds from the communities of Strangford, Kilclief, Ballyhornan, Chapeltown, Ardglass, Coney Island and Killough in taking to the water in a public protest against the NIEA inactivity.

There was almost a festival atmosphere as the ‘Big Swim’ protest made its way from beach to beach with many taking part in swims at all the beaches seeking designation.

One of the driving forces behind the campaign has been independent councillor, Cadogan Enright, who said the pressure is now on the NIEA to act.

“There was considerable upset in these Lecale villages when in June in 2011 the NIEA was only able to identify Ballyhornan beach as a potential EU designated bathing water, while identifying all the beaches on the ‘Gold Coast’ of north Down as EU bathing waters,” said Mr. Enright.

“The NIEA then decided not to proceed with the designation of Ballyhornan after a survey claimed only 35 people had used Ballyhornan beach over an entire summer season. Locals were angered by this as they are keenly aware of huge crowds using their beaches throughout the summer bathing period.”

The politician said anger turned to outrage last year when NIW shelved it’s long-promised sewage treatment upgrade for the Lecale coast. It was decided the new plant in Ardtole, near Ardglass, would only treat sewage to level two and would not include the piping of sewage from Killough, Coney Island, Ballyhornan and other villages.

“NI Water did however complete a comprehensive level three treatment works for the ‘Gold Coast’ including pumping sewage away from all Gold Cost settlements to the new works at Millisle,” he said.

Mr. Enright said NIW justified this by saying the north Down coast beaches were all designated EU bathing waters whereas the Lecale beaches were not.

Following public protests in Ballyhornan and Ardglass over the new sewerage scheme, Mr. Enright discovered that councils and community associations could nominate their own beaches. He then received cross-party support for council action to nominate all local beaches as EU designated bathing waters for the benefit of local people and to boost local tourism.

The villages of Killough, Coney Island, Ballyhornan and Kilclief have each started Facebook sites to post photographs proving that they regularly have over 100 people on their beaches during the summer bathing period.

“To qualify for EU bathing water status we need one picture a year with a minimum of 45 people in the water or two pictures of 100 people on the beach,” said Mr Enright.

“Saturday’s Big Swim is to give a big finale to this years campaign ahead of nominating our local beaches in 2015 with dozens of photos for every beach including hundreds local people and tourists using our local beaches. It was a fantastic turnout, with nearly 500 bathers on all four beaches, and thanks to everyone who showed up.”