As the good weather continues and people flock to beaches all across Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ) is reminding the public in Westmeath to use Splash, the national bathing water information website, for up-to-date information on water quality at local bathing spots.
The Splash website has an interactive, colour-coded map that allows people to check water quality at any of the 136 designated bathing waters across the country. Before deciding on the best place to swim, you can find the latest reported water quality, and check if there is any bathing water warning or notification in place at your chosen location.
Irish waters are classified into one of four categories: excellent, good, sufficient, and poor. Most are expected to be in the ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ categories but, as recent pollution incidents on Splash have shown, some do have problems. New signage, which has been agreed with the HSE is now being used at all bathing waters to advise bathers of any potential pollution problems.
Peter Webster, EPA senior scientist commented: “With people in Westmeath enjoying the current spell of good weather the EPA wants to remind them that Splash can help families, holiday makers, and bathers in Westmeath by providing up-to-date information on identified bathing waters and the latest water quality at their local beaches. As a precaution we don’t advise swimming after heavy rain, if the water is discoloured, or if the local authority has a pollution notice in place.”
The EPA would also urge Westmeath residents to visit their local authority’s website to check if their favourite bathing water area is on the list of official bathing waters.
A bathing water factsheet is now available on the EPA website at www.epa.ie You can also follow Twitter @EPAIreland and receive text updates on bathing water incidents direct to your phone.
Visit Splash to check the water quality at your favourite bathing spot at http://splash.epa.ie.
