PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: IDENTIFICATION OF BATHING WATERS UNDER THE BATHING WATERS DIRECTIVE 2006/7 EC OF 15TH FEBRUARY 2006 AND THE BATHING WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS SI 79 OF 2008
Westmeath currently has 3 designated Bathing Waters:
• Portnashangan (Lough Owel)
• The Cut (Lough Lene)
• Lilliput (Lough Ennell)
Under the Bathing Waters Directive and the Bathing Water Quality Regulations 2008 (SI No 79 of 2008), Local Authorities must identify official bathing areas in their area every year so that they can be monitored to ensure they meet stringent microbiological water quality standards. To help with this process, Westmeath County Council are asking the public if they think they should maintain existing designated bathing waters designations or give a new official bathing area designation to areas that are commonly used for swimming, but not identified at the moment.
If you are a regular swimmer and want to help Westmeath County 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.
You should refer to the EPA document Public Advice on the identification of new Bathing Waters before making your submission. Applications for the identification of a new bathing area must be submitted on Form Annex 1- Application for identification of a new bathing area included in the EPA document. See following link.
https://www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--assessment/freshwater--marine/public-advice-on-the-identification-of-new-bathing-waters.php
If you wish to propose your favorite lake/river etc. as a new bathing water site or comment on an existing site, please email westmeathbathingwaters@westmeathcoco.ie or alternatively post hardcopy to:
Senior Engineer,
Environment and Climate,
Westmeath County Council,
Áras an Chontae,
Mount St, Mullingar,
Co Westmeath,
N91 FH4N.
Closing date for submissions to Westmeath County Council is 26th Sept. 2025.
Rannpháirtíocht an Phobail 2025
Content Last Updated/Reviewed: 12/05/2025
