Warning over lake algae

Uisce Éireann has defended its wastewater treatment process amid fears that discharges from treatment plants are responsible for harmful algae blooms on Lough Derg.

Tipperary Co Council recently issued a warning after the appearance of “significant blooms” at a number of locations on the lake. Working in consultation with the HSE, the council advised that the blue-green algae can produce harmful toxins.

“The public are advised to please exercise caution,” the council stated in its notice. “Contact with this bloom should be avoided as it may cause skin irritation. Keep all animals, especially dogs, away from the affected area and ensure they have an alternative source of drinking water.”

The public advisory was effective until Monday of last week.

Usually appearing in late July or August, algae blooms have been a problem on Lough Derg for many years. They have previously been attributed to run-off nitrates or phosphorous from the land, though some local commentators have more recently questioned whether wastewater treatment plant capacity is a contributory factor.

‘FUTURE LIKE LOUGH NEAGH’

Campaign group the River Shannon Environmental Protection Alliance (RSEPA) last week warned that “Lough Derg is facing a future like Lough Neagh”, where heavy and prolonged blooms of toxic blue-green algae have endangered the lake’s ecosystem.