The Quality of Bathing Water Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993

Department of the Environment

Determination of Values for Quality of Bathing Waters and Disapplication of the Requirement of Council Directive 76/160/EEC relating to Transparency Parameter

The Department of the Environment, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by regulation 3(1) and (2) of the Quality of Bathing Water Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993(a) (“the 1993 Regulations”), hereby sets for the bathing areas listed in Schedule 1 (being Bathing Areas within the meaning of Article 1.2 of Council Directive 76/160/EEC) (b) the values specified in Schedule 2 applicable to bathing water for the parameters given in that Schedule.

The Department of the Environment, in exercise of the power conferred on it by regulation 5(1)(a) of the 1993 Regulations, hereby disapplies the requirements of the Directive in the case of the parameter for transparency to bathing waters in respect of the bathing areas listed in Schedule 1, because of exceptional geographical conditions.

The following notices are hereby revoked:

(i)Notice of Determination of Values for Quality of Bathing Water dated 30th June 1993

(ii) Notice of Disapplication of the Requirement of Council Directive 76/160/EEC relating to Transparency Parameter dated 5th June 1997.

Sealed with the official Seal of the Department of the Environment on 27/10/06.

Wesley Shannon

(L.S.)

A senior officer of the Department of the Environment

(a) S.R. 1993 No. 205

(b) O.J. L31, 5.2.76, p.1

Schedule 1

BATHING AREAS WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 1.2 OF COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 76/160/EEC

1. Ballywalter

2. Ballygally

3. Ballycastle

4. Brown’s Bay

5. Ballyholme

6. Castlerock

7. Carnlough

8. Cranfield (Cranfield Bay)

9. Cranfield (Nicholson’s Strand)

10. Crawfordsburn

11. Downhill

12. Groomsport

13. Helen’s Bay

14. Magilligan

15. Millisle

16. Murlough

17. Newcastle

18. Portrush (Mill Strand)

19. Portrush (Curran Strand)

20. Portstewart

21. Tyrella

22. Waterfoot

23. Whiterocks

VALUES SET UNDER REGULATION 3(1) AND (3) OF THE QUALITY OF BATHING WATER REGULATIONS (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1993

Parameter	Parametric	Minimum	Methods of
	Value	Sampling	Analysis and
		Frequency	Inspection
Microbiological
Total coliforms	10,000/100	Fortnightly	Fermentation in multiple
	ml	(see note one)	tubes. Sub-culturing of the
			positive tubes on a
			confirmation medium.
Faecal	2,000/100	Fortnightly	Either counting according to
coliforms	ml	(see note one)	MPN (most probable number)
			or membrane filtration,
			culturing on an appropriate
			medium, subculturing and
			identification of the suspect
			colonies.The incubation
			temperature is variable
			according to whether total or
			faecal coliforms are being
			investigated.
Salmonella	Absent in 1	(see note 2)	Membrane filtration, culturing		litre		on an	appropriate medium,
			subculturing and identification
			of the suspect colonies.
Entero viruses	No plaque	(see note 2)	Concentration (by filtration,
	forming		flocculation or centrifuging)
	units in 10		and confirmation.
	litres

Physiochemical

pH	6 to 9	(see note2)	Electrometry with calibration
			at pH 7 and 9.
Colour	No abnormal	Fortnightly	Visual inspection or
	change in	(see note 1)	photometry with standards on
	colour		the platinum cobalt scale.
Mineral Oils	No film	Fortnightly	Visual and olfactory
	visible on	(see note 1)	inspection
	the surface
	of the water
	and no odour
Surface-active	No lasting	Fortnightly	Visual inspection
substances	foam	(see note 1)
reacting with
methylene
blue
Phenols	No specific	Fortnightly	Olfactory inspection
(phenol indices)	odour	(see note 1)
	>0.05	(see note 2)	Absorption
	mg/litre (C6		spectropholtometry 4-
	H5 OH)		amincantipyrine (4Aap)
			method.
Transparency	1 metre	Fortnightly	Secchi’s disc
		(see note 1)

NOTES

1. Samples may be taken at intervals of 4 weeks where samples taken in previous years show that the water is of appreciable higher standard than that required and the quality of the water has not substantially deteriorated and is unlikely to do so.

2. Samples shall be taken by the Department in relation to this parameter when an inspection in the bathing area shows that substances may be present or that the quality of the water has deteriorated.