Twenty new wild swimming spots are being considered for water quality testing by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, we can reveal.
Currently, 26 bathing waters are tested to ensure they are safe to swim in from June 1 until September 15 annually.
They include bathing waters like Benone Beach, Helen’s Bay, Camlough, Portrush, Newcastle and more.
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But every year the department asks the public for suggestions about areas they would like to see included in the testing regime.
We have learned 20 sites are now “undergoing survey and detailed evaluation” to see if the water is good to swim in.
A DAERA spokesperson said: “It is not anticipated that all sites will be found suitable for identification.”
But they have provided us with the list of places under consideration.
They include Brompton Bay, Bangor; Camlough Lake; Castlewellan Lake; Cushendall; Donaghadee Harbour; Drains Bay; Fisherman’s Quay, Carrickfergus; Gortin Lake (near Gortin Forest); Killyfoal Lough near Donagh; Knockninny, Upper Lough Erne (near Derrylin); Lough Melvin, Garrison; Loughshore Park, Jordanstown; Mill Lough, Bellanaleck; Muckross; Portavoe near Orlock; Portmuck; Rea’s Wood Lough Neagh/Loughshore Park, Antrim; Rostrevor; Skipping Stone Beach, Bangor; Sandy Bottom, Warrenpoint.
Sea and wild swimmers take to lakes, rivers and coastal waters around the North of Ireland year round.
They have long been calling on the department to extend the bathing water season, to check for water impurities throughout the year.
We asked DAERA whether they have made a decision on their calls.
A spokesperson added: “An extension of the current bathing season is being considered.”
This year, the department said 25 of the 26 bathing waters around our coast met strict standards for quality - with 21 classified as ‘Excellent’, a prerequisite for the coveted Blue Flag Award.
They added “a further three have been classified as ‘Good’ with one ‘Sufficient’. Unfortunately, one site at Ballyholme marginally failed to meet the minimum standards” which they described as “very disappointing”.
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