Kilkenny river swimming - Call for ‘real-time’ water quality monitoring

Earlier and more frequent water quality tests might encourage more people to swim at Kilkenny river swimming spots, one local councillor has suggested.

There were a number of issues at the Weir Pool in Thomastown, last summer, Cllr Deirdre Cullen pointed out to the May meeting of Callan Thomastown Municipal District councillors.

Testing of the water quality usually begins at this, and other public swimming spots, in June.

Cllr Cullen suggested if testing started earlier in the year and was done more frequently it might encourage more people to swim in those places where the county council is providing lifeguards.

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Bernadette Moloney, Kilkenny County Council’s Biodiversity Officer, made a presentation to the Callan Thomastown councillors on the biodiversity plan currently being drawn up for the county.

She told the meeting that in feedback from public consultation, as part of that process, water testing of swimming areas was mentioned.

There had been a call for ‘real-time’ testing, she said, so that swimmers would know of any water quality issues more quickly, preventing illness.

She explained that while the issue does not come under the biodiversity plan remit, one of the stakeholders in the consultation process was aware of a project in Galway where real-time testing is taking place in a marine environment, and they have agreed to look into that.

Meanwhile, Ms Moloney said, the biodiversity office will be working with LAWPRO (the local authority water programme) to improve overall water quality.