Galway City Council is holding a public consultation for the next month on what should be the designated swimming areas in the city environs this year.
Under Irish and EU law, local authorities must identify their chosen swimming areas each year, so that their water quality can be properly monitored.
These laws also require that the local authority prepares detailed descriptions or profiles for each location, and potential sources of pollution in the wider catchment area.
In some cases, the official swimming areas are also the areas where local authorities focus their resources providing lifeguards during the summer season.
To help with this process, Galway City Council are asking people who swim at beaches, lakes and rivers to tell them if they think they should maintain existing areas, or designate other areas that are commonly used for swimming.
If you are a regular swimmer and want to help your Council decide which bathing areas should be classified as such, it might be helpful to consider the following:
- How your swimming area has been used up to now;
- How many people use the site
- What facilities exist at the site and how accessible it is
- Any safety issues.
The deadline for public submissions to the city council on swimming areas is June 9 of 2022.
If you wish to propose your favourite beach/river etc as a new bathing water site or comment on an existing site please email the Recreation & Amenity Department at parks@galwaycity.ie. Please include “Bathing Water” in the subject line.
Submissions can also be made via post. These should be addressed to Recreation & Amenity Department, Galway City Council, College Rd, Galway.
