Newry, Mourne and Down District Council held a special meeting this week with fears that open water swimmers could be exposed at “2,500 discharge sites”.
independent councillor, Mark Gibbons said: “This is about the discharge coming into the Warrenpoint front shore. We have a huge amount of open water swimmers there and every year the membership is getting bigger and bigger and it is fantastic to see.
“On a regular basis we would see this discharge. What exactly is it that the open water swimmers would be swimming through? And do you think it is safe for the swimmer and wildlife to be swimming around this discharge or should they stay way clear of it?”
Cllr Mark Gibbons
The popularity of the water activity can be seen through a Northern Ireland Open Water Swimming social media public account, which has over 32,000 members.
Hundreds of charity swimmers are also expected to take their annual New Year dip in January, including in the Warrenpoint and Killyleagh area. The chamber heard that concerned swimmers were looking for answers to what is in discharge waters they have been dipping into.
Co Down discharge at Killyleagh. (Credit: James Kilpatrick).
News Catch Up – Monday 24 November
Alliance councillor David Lee-Surginor said: “I do get a lot of phone calls, especially after a storm, when there are large discharges of wastewater that is not very pleasant and is going straight into the bay at Killyleagh where the dippers are swimming.
“There is this very suspicious looking discharge flowing out. We are being contacted by the swimmers wanting to know what this is, as the response we normally get is that it’s just a normal discharge, nothing to worry about.
“I think more needs to be done in terms of trapping more of these strange looking discharges into the river or even Strangford Lough.”
Cllr David Lee Surginor
NIW head of investment management, Stephen Blockwell, responded: “Discharges after storms should only happen after severe weather and this happens as a safety procedure so that water doesn’t back up and flood people’s homes. It is unsatisfactory.
“We have 2,500 of those up and down the country. The NIEA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) can collect samples as part of its duty.
“The discharge from wastewater treatment works is done by NI Environment Agency (NIEA) consent, so that it is safe to discharge to the environment.
“I don’t think it is advisable for anyone to swim in a discharge area, I think it is a common sense thing. It is a risk that some people might want to take, I wouldn’t do it myself.
“There are designated swimming sites across the country and people do wild swimming. I wouldn’t pick a discharge point myself.”
Stormont departments investigated over sewage discharges into Belfast Lough