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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Sophie Collins

New swimming ban brought in on popular north Dublin beach due to high levels of bacteria

Swimmers have been warned of a temporary ban on entering the water at Front Strand Beach in Balbriggan due to high levels of E.coli bacteria.

The 'Do Not Swim' notice was published on Tuesday night for the Dublin beach after Fingal County Council said that the notice follows ‘poor’ E.coli results.

These were determined from a scheduled bathing water sample which was taken on Monday July 25.

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The council has confirmed that the notice will remain in effect for three days.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Fingal County Council wrote: "Preliminary e.coli results from Claremont met ‘sufficient’ water quality, as a result, a resample will be taken and the situation monitored. Resamples have been scheduled at Front Strand Balbriggan and Claremont beach for tomorrow with results due on Friday, 29 July when the notice will be reviewed."

According to Fingal County Council, it will remain open to the public despite the fact that swimming is currently prohibited on Balbriggan beach.

According to health officials, E.coli is a type of bacteria that normally lives in your intestines and it's also found in the gut of some animals.

Most types of E. coli are harmless, but some strains can cause diarrhea if you eat contaminated food or drink fouled water.

People who are pregnant or have a compromised immune system are particularly at risk of becoming ill if they ingest the bad strains of this bacteria.

Members of the public can check for water quality at any of the monitored bathing waters in Ireland in advance by heading over to the EPA website. You can also check the notice board at the entrance to any beach in Ireland.

Beach waters are deemed to be of a “poor” standard if there is predicted to be more than a 10% chance of contracting gastrointestinal illness from swimming in them.

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