Bathing Water Profile - Bundoran (2016)

Bathing Water: Bundoran Bathing Water Code: IENWBWC020_0000_0100 Local Authority: County Council River Basin District: North Western Monitoring Point: 182007E, 359383N

1. Profile Details:

Profile Id: BWPR00327 Toilets Available: Yes Year Of Profile: 2016 Car Parking Available: Yes Year Of Identification 1992 Disabled Access: No Version Number: 1 First Aid Available: Yes Sensitive Area: Yes Dogs Allowed: Yes Lifesaving Facilities: No

Figure 1: Bathing Water 2. Bathing Water Details:

Map 1: Bathing Water Location & Extent

Bathing Water location and Bundoran (Bun Dobhráin) Blue Flag Beach is located close to the town of Bundoran which is located on extent: the south western coast of . Bundoran Beach is located approx. 250m north of Bundoran town's main street. It is located in the Bundoran Bay Coastal waterbody (NW_020_0000) within the North Western River Basin District. The bathing area is a designated bathing water and is approx. 0.04499km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 300m

Main features of the Bathing Type of Bathing Water: Bundoran beach consists of a sandy beach in a sheltered bay in the centre of Water: Bundoran town facing and the Atlantic.. The beach is exposed at times during the tidal phase during the day. The beach is bounded on the North and South by rocks and on the east by the promenade roadway. The bathing area contains a large sandbank which can change substantially with tidal changes. There can also be rip currents present within the patrol area of the beach.

Flora/Fauna, Riparian Zone: The site is a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the E.U. Birds Directive, of special conservation interest for the following species: Great Northern Diver, Light-bellied Brent Goose, Common Scoter and Sanderling. Both Common Scoter and Brent Geese are found in the greater Donegal Bay area, from Bundoran north to Murvagh. Other wintering species of note from the site include Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Dunlin. The riparian zone is modified completely to include a walkway behind the beach.

Water Depth: The depth of the water on the shoreline increases within 10 meters off the shore to a depth of 1 meters and gradually increases with the slope of the shore. There is a sand bar off the beach which is visible at low tide.

Tidal Range: The water line within the designated area is approximately 300 meters. Tidal ranges are in the Mesomareal tidal range (2-4m).

Land Use: Land use immediately surrounding the designated bathing area consists of a leisure facility, pubs, restaurants, hotels, shops, caravan parks, residential housing and a headland walkway. There is a public road directly down to the beach car park and houses, caravans, pubs, restaurants and a hotel are located alongside the main road. The town of Bundoran has many pubs, hotels and restaurants which is approximately 250m from the beach.

Local Sites of Interest: This site is of high conservation value because of the extensive area of relatively unspoilt coastal habitats and the range of plant and animal species that these habitats support. The catchment area is an idyllic location for bird watching and ecological activities having a wide diversity of both plant and animal species.

Additional Information: Beach and Maritime Craft Bye Laws were implemented at Bundoran Beach in 2009. These Bye Laws were introduced to regulate and /or prohibit the use of personal watercrafts, recreational crafts, vehicles, horses, dogs, camping, vendors, water sport schools and to protect the beach and dune systems. Main features of the Bathing Water:

Activities available at the Facilities: Facilities available at the beach include car parking, toilets, information boards, recycling Bathing Water: facilities, refuse bins and lifeguards (seasonal). During the lifeguarded periods, extra facilities provided by the lifeguards include: emergency information, telephone access, first aid equipment and rescue equipment. There are shops, restaurants, pubs etc. available in the town of Bundoran approximately 250 meters from the beach.

Visitor Numbers: Visitor numbers to the beach vary throughout the season. The maximum number of visitors to the beach during a high season day has been estimated at approximately 2,000 people with less than half of this number swimming. Throughout the season approximately 30,000 people have been estimated to visit the beach. Visitor numbers are representative of the visitors recorded by the lifeguards that are on duty during the bathing season.

Activities: Activities atBundoranBeach include swimming, surfing and other land-based activities such as football, kite flying etc.

Contributing catchment Bundoran Beach is located on the south west coast of Donegal within Donegal Bay transitional waterbody details: (NW_160_0000), approximately 250m from Bundoran town centre in North West Donegal. The beach is situated on the coast of County Donegal in the North Western International River Basin District.

Contributing Catchment: The contributing catchment of the designated bathing area for Bundoran Beach is approximately 1.774km2 in area.

Water Bodies draining to Bathing Area: The main area within the catchment is located within a coastal interbasin and therefore is undesignated for its status. There is a small surface water stream which flows on to the east of the beach which is monitored along with the bathing water itself. The beach faces into Bundoran Bay (NW_020_0000) and into the Donegal Bay (Erne) (NW_010_0000) coastal waterbody.

Land Cover and Land Use:

Topography: The catchment consists of an upland area to the north eastern side of the beach and changes to lower lying land within the main catchment area towards the coastal town of Bundoran. Bundoran town is the main population centre with on-off housing scattered throughout the remainder of the catchment.

Land Use: Discontinuous Urban Fabric (44%) and Pastures (40%) account for the majority of the land use within the catchment.

Soils, Subsoils, Bedrock: The catchment bedrock is predominantly comprised of Limestone (63%) and Bundoran Shale Formation (36%). The main soil types for the catchment area are Gley soils (49%) and made soils (44%). The dominant subsoil types are Metamorphic Till (49%) and made subsoil (44%).

Formal Designations: Bundoran Beach is located within the Donegal Bay SPA – Special Area of Conservation (Site Code: 004151).

Population Centres: The town of Bundoran had a population of 1,781 persons in the urban area and 1,063 in the rural area surrounding the town (CSO, 2011). This population increases significantly during the summer tourist season.

Rainfall: The closest weather station to the designated beach is at Ballyshannon Weather Station (IG 842 606), which is approximately 5km as the crow flies from the beach. During the bathing water season (2013 -2015), the average rainfall (mm) for May, June, July, August and September is 113.6, 58.9, 79.6, 103.6 and 45.7 respectively. Details of the rainfall data can be obtained throughwww.met.ie

Monitoring point details: The monitoring point for this bathing water is located at the grid reference point IG 820 593.

Reason for selection of the The location of the bathing water monitoring point is the location where most bathers are expected to use monitoring point: the bathing water. The bathing water monitoring point location chosen is always within the area patrolled by the Lifeguards and is usually the area of the beach most heavily used by the public. This area can vary somewhat on this beach depending on tidal and weather influences and is marked by the Lifeguards flags. Water quality assessment: The bathing water quality monitoring carried out at Bundoran Beach since 2003 has shown consistently good water quality at all times. From the 2010 bathing season, Bundoran Beach has achieved good water quality status and complied with the EU guide and mandatory values as set out in the Bathing Water Directive (2006/76/EC) and the Quality of Bathing Water Regulations, 2008 (S.I. 79 OF 2008).

In the four year assessment period from 2012 to 2015, the current classification for this bathing water is Excellent Quality. The 95%ile classification of E. coli and Enterococci are 34.1 and 69.7 respectively. The Bundoran Beach bathing water will qualify for Blue Flag Status in 2016 based on water quality. 3. Identified Pressures:

Map 2: Bathing Water Catchment

3.1 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing no risk:

Description: There are a significant number of individual houses located throughout the catchment, which all presumably have some form of on-site effluent treatment system. Source: On Site Waste Water Treatment Systems Type: Septic Tank Short Term Pressure: No

Description: Bird faeces can affect bathing water as it contains high levels of bacteria (much higher than treated human waste).

Source: Seabirds Type: Bird colony Short Term Pressure: No

Description: Pastures account for 40% of the land use within the catchment. No intensive agricultural activities are taking place with the land lying fallow or being used for grazing. Source: Agriculture Type: Run off from agricultural land Short Term Pressure: No 3.2 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing risk:

Description: Bundoran Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) was commissioned in 1984. It is designed to provide Preliminary Treatment of wastewater from the catchment prior to discharge by an outfall to the Atlantic Ocean. The system has 2 storm water overflow pumping stations. The main lift pumping station for this plant is located in Bundoran town centre at grid reference 179440 358747. Combined wastewater from Bundoran catchment is discharged to the sea at Pollbrean. The system was upgraded in 1999 to include the provision of a pumping station for the East end and Sea Road to alleviate potential beach pollution and the construction of new sewers. Bundoran WWTP has a licence under the Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations, 2007 (S.I. No. 684 of 2007). Source: Bundoran Waste Water Treatment Plant Type: Waste Water Treatment plant Short Term Pressure: Yes Nature: High Risk Frequency: <1/year Duration: < 48 hours Risk Assessment Microbial Pollution Potential (MPP) combined with the Water Quality Impact (WQI) grades for Methodology: bathing waters result in the Microbial Pollution Risk (MPR) assessment for pollution sources affecting coastal and inland bathing waters.

Risk Assessment The Microbial Pollution Potential for this discharge is High. The Water Quality Impact grade for this Results: bathing water is B, therefore, the Microbial Pollution Risk (MPR) Assessment for this discharge is High. The discharge could be considered to be a long outfall as the discharge point is located approximately 1000m from the beach. Details: The water quality results for the bathing water season indicate that this pressure is not posing a problem to the bathing water quality and all results are compliant with the water quality limits specified for all Blue Flag Bathing waters which includes Bundoran Beach. Management Due to the location of the outfall and level of treatment at the WWTP there will be a risk of short- Measures: term pollution until upgrade works are completed. The bathing water is monitored during the bathing period to ensure that the beach is not adversely affected.

Description: Heavy rainfall carries an added risk of pollution from surface runoff. Source: Rainfall Type: Rainwater discharges Short Term Pressure: Yes Nature: Low Risk Frequency: <1/month Duration: < 48 hours Risk Assessment The bathing water vulnerability for short term pollution (STP) events has been examined. The beach Methodology: has been assessed to incorporate the small size of the catchment, the absence of surface water inflows to the beach, and the historical water quality monitoring data over a 10 year period from 2004 to 2013. The STP event was calculated in conjunction with the Information Note on Short Term Pollution (STP) Events specified in the 2008 Bathing Water Quality Regulations (SI No. 79 of 2008) by the OEA Bathing Water Unit 17 May 2013. Risk Assessment Rainfall is not expected to affect the bathing water quality unless there is >20mm of rain in 24hours. Results: Details: Pollution risk is linked to weather systems and rainfall data. Management If heavy rain is anticipated, warning notices will be erected on the beach together with incident Measures: notification to the EPA. The public will be informed of the risk, likely duration and nature of the short term pollution, displayed on the beach notice boards.

After a STP event, a sample shall be taken to confirm that the event has passed; if microbiological analysis shows that no contamination was detected, then the event is not considered to be a STP. If necessary, a replacement sample can be taken in accordance with Regulation 7(4), Schedule 2 of S.I. No. 79 of 2008. If the predicted rainfall does not arrive, the warning notices will be taken down.

In the event that bathing water quality is found to be unsatisfactory, the public will be advised of this by way of public notices at the beach and through the lifeguards until the quality has improved to satisfactory standards. 3.3 Other Risks:

Assessment of the potential for proliferation There has been no known incident of cyanobacteria impacting on the Donegal coastline or it’s of cyanobacteria: marine environment. An event of this kind is considered to be extremely unlikely.

Proposed management measures for Nutrient management would be examined in the potential pressures and risk assessments carried cyanobacteria: out on the catchment to calculate and reduce the potential risks. In the event of a problem with cyanobacteria, samples would be taken to determine the levels of chlorophyll. Depending on the concentration found, bathing conditions would be considered in relation to calm weather without surface wave actions lasting for 24 hours or longer and temporary risk signs would be erected for the duration of the climatic conditions. In the instance of high levels of chlorophyll, bathing would be prohibited, signage would be erected for the duration of the bloom and regular sampling and analysis would take place.

Assessment of the potential for proliferation Bundoran Beach is located on the west coast of Donegal within Bundoran Bay coastal water with of macroalgae: strong Atlantic wave action and the continued monitoring of the beach indicates that there are no significant problems with macroalgae on this beach.

Proposed management measures for In the event of a large volume of macroalgae being washed ashore, it would be left for natural macroalgae: dispersion with the tides if it were not causing a nuisance or health concern. If macroalgae deposits became an issue, it would be removed and disposed of by the local authority.

Assessment of the potential for proliferation Marine phytoplankton bloom events have occurred on beaches in County Donegal however none of marine phytoplankton: have been recorded at Bundoran Beach to date hence the risk is considered very low. The sea conditions and currents off Bundoran Beach would likely assist in the dispersion of any such bloom should one come close to shore in the area.

Proposed management measures for marine If algal blooms develop offshore and their movement can be monitored, attention will be paid to phytoplankton: prevailing winds in the case of the bloom being driven onshore. This will allow for the situation to be monitored closely and action taken accordingly or if necessary. In a serious case in the bathing area, the bloom would be sampled to identify the dominant bloom species. The beach would be closed to the public after consultation with the local authority laboratory and public health professionals. Signage would be erected at access points with an explanation for the closure. Public co-operation would be greatly encouraged.

Additional Information: Information in relation to the quality of the water at each of the 21 designated bathing waters in County Donegal along with their compliance history is available on the EPA’s Bathing Water Website ‘Splash’ available at www.bathingwater.ie

For information on Blue Flag Beaches please visit www.antaisce.ie

Information on the Environmental Protection Agency and the work they undertake is available on the EPA website at www.epa.ie

The Marine Institute is the national agency responsible for Marine Research, Technology Development and Innovation and information is available at www.marine.ie

For information on and its services please visit www.donegalcoco.ie

4 Bathing Water Status From Previous Sampling Years:

2012 2013 2014 2015 Bundoran Good Quality Good Quality Excellent Excellent Quality Quality

5 Contact Details:

Contact: Donegal County Council Email: [email protected] Address: Central Laboratory, The Kube, Magheranan, , Co. Donegal Phone: 074 9122787