Council gives all-clear to swim in Barrow
The Barrow's two designated bathing sites were confirmed to be clean enough for people to go for a dip
THE River Barrow is once again clean enough for swimming, Carlow Co Council confirmed yesterday (Monday).
The river’s two designated bathing sites, in Bagenalstown and at Clashganny lough, were both confirmed to be clean enough for people to go for a dip after tests were carried out by the council yesterday.
In a statement, the local authority said that the results were ‘excellent’ after the water quality ‘improved significantly’. The HSE’s environmental health officer immediately lifted a bathing prohibition notice in Clashganny as a result, while the Bagenalstown was given the all-clear last week.
The swimming bans arose after dangerous levels of the bacteria E Coli were discovered in the river in Bagenalstown during routine testing on Thursday 26 June. The contamination was then washed down to the county’s second designated swimming spot at Clashganny.
Both areas are now in the clear ahead of good weather forecasted for the coming week.
The local authority will continue to monitor bathing water quality in Co Carlow throughout the bathing season. The results of bathing water quality in the county are published on the Environmental Protection Agency’s bathing water quality website www.beaches.ie.
