This is why Waterford council do not test the water when a whale dies on a beach
Councillor Thomas Phelan said he was concerned about the impact of an animal decomposing on the blue flag beach. Stock Image.
Waterford City and County Council does not test water for pathogens after a whale washes up on a beach.
That is according to Senior Executive Officer in the Environment section, Dawn Wallace, at the November sitting of Dungarvan-Lismore District Council.
Ms Wallace was responding to Councillor Thomas Phelan, who was concerned about the water quality at Clonea, where a second whale has washed up dead.
Ms Wallace said the council only tests for enterococci and E. coli, which come from faecal matter.
“As we spoke about before on the previous whale, it’s a sea animal that will decompose in the water anyway. That is a natural process, so we wouldn’t take out additional testing out of season for that,” said Ms Wallace.
The Director for Roads, Gabriel Hynes, said that the whale is accessible and the council will deal with the carcass appropriately.
Separately, Cllr Donnchadh Mulcahy asked if testing was carried out on the Waterford side of the Blackwater.
He said he was concerned about the river following the fish kills reported in Cork during the summer.
“I just worry that it could happen in our neck of the woods,” said Cllr Mulcahy.
Ms Wallace said rivers are tested through the Water Framework Directive on behalf of the EPA and reported nationally.
