Shocking levels of e-coli in local bay

Shocking levels of e-coli in local bay

5 October 2016

DANGEROUS levels of e-coli in Dundrum Inner Bay may pose a public health risk, lawyers have warned.

Contamination of the inner bay has reached such high levels that locally farmed shellfish has not been considered fit for human consumption since early summer.

Water samples taken from various points of the bay since mid-June show the concentration of e-coli, which is regarded as a reliable indicator of water cleanliness, has rocketed to over 32 times the acceptable limit.

The bay needs to be approved as at least class B under European hygiene regulations to qualify for a shellfish farm, but the deterioration of water quality means it has now been demoted to class C.

Samples taken from the flesh of mussels in early August showed e-coli levels reached 16000 per 100 grams, which is almost four times the recommended level. 

This means local producers are unable to sell raw oysters and mussels unless they undergo a two month purification process, which they say is unfeasible.  

The decimation of the shellfish industry and the potential threat to public health is exposed in a series of shocking letters between lawyers representing the area’s main oyster and mussel producer, DOMA, to government departments in recent weeks.

DOMA warns that the deterioration in water quality, which may be due to sewage overflow and farming practices, is affecting the finances and reputation of the local industry, while potentially posing a “significant public health issue” for users of Dundrum bay.

The company, which owns shellfish farms across Ireland and Europe, also points out that Dundrum is the only site affected in this way.

Following a similar problem late last summer, DOMA lays some of the blame with Northern Ireland Water, suggesting that sewage overflow in the west side of the bay is a potential public health hazard.

“Bacterial counts well in excess of the required standards have been detected consistently across the bay during the summer months,” a lawyer representing DOMA wrote.

“Of particular note are substantial bacterial counts from an outfall located on the west side of the bay, on the shoreline opposite Derinilla Lane in Dundrum.

“It is our understanding that this outfall forms part of NIW’s network and appears to be the overflow from a sewage pumping station. This clearly raises questions over why levels of contamination are so high from this outfall on a regular basis and why consistent flows are reported from this outflow if it is meant to be an emergency overflow.”

“This is also a broader matter of public health in relation to whether the public is at risk from high faecal coliform concentrations within the bay.”

A spokeswoman for NI Water this week confirmed they had been in discussion with DOMA’s legal advisors and said improvements to Dundrum’s wastewater treatment works were considered a “high priority” and would be complete by March 2018.

“NI Water assets provide sewerage services within Dundrum village,” she said.

“The sewer network is mostly a combined system, which means that during periods of wet weather there will be overflows from the associated combined sewer overflow (CSO) assets.   

“CSOs are standard water industry design features, permitting spills of dilute wastewater to alleviate out of sewer flooding and damage to properties.  

“They will also provide an emergency relief function in times of operational failure of pumps or sewer blockages, caused by inappropriate items being disposed of in the sewerage system.  

“We can advise that Dundrum Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) capital upgrade has been prioritised in agreement with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.”

A spokeswoman for the Department for Infrastructure said it was important to note that Dundrum bay was likely to be significantly impacted by run-off from agricultural land.

Confirming that NI Water was continuing to investigate the source of the current pollution with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and was funding an extensive study into the bay, she added officials were also in the process of carrying out improvements to the sewer network involving a spend of around £400,000. 

A Newry, Mourne and Down Council spokesman yesterday confirmed that the council was aware of the concerns of the shellfish harvester operating in Dundrum Bay about the microbiological quality of the water.