The Quality of Bathing Water Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

PART 3 N.I. MONITORING OF BATHING WATERS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION

Monitoring N.I.

8.—(1) The Department shall monitor and carry out investigations at bathing waters in accordance with this regulation.

(2) Monitoring for—

(a) Intestinal enterococci and Escherichia coli shall be in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 3;

(b) cyanobacteria shall be in accordance with Part 2 of Schedule 3;

(c) other pollution, which takes the form of tarry residues, glass, plastic, rubber or any other waste, shall be carried out in accordance with Part 4 of Schedule 3.

(3) Investigation of macro-algae and marine phytoplankton proliferation shall be carried out in accordance with Part 3 of Schedule 3.

(4) The bathing water operator shall also monitor in accordance with Part 4 of Schedule 3.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 8 in operation at 30.6.2008 for specified purposes, see reg. 1(2)

I2 Reg. 8 in operation at 24.3.2015 in so far as not already in operation, see reg. 1(5)

Public information: duties of bathing water operator N.I.

9.— [F1 (1) Every bathing water operator shall ensure that the following information about its bathing water is actively disseminated and promptly made available during the bathing season in an easily accessible place in the near vicinity of the bathing water—

(a) the bathing water’s current classification pursuant to regulation 12, represented by a symbol in accordance with Part 2 of the Annex to the Decision;

(b) any advice against bathing which has been introduced there, represented by a symbol in accordance with Part 1 of the Annex to the Decision, and giving reasons;

(c) a general description of the bathing water, in non-technical language, based on its bathing water profile;

(d) where the bathing water is subject to or likely to be subject to incidents of short-term pollution—

(i) a statement to that effect;

(ii) an indication of the number of days for which advice against bathing was introduced there during the immediately preceding bathing season because of short-term pollution; and

(iii) a warning whenever short term pollution is predicted or present;

(e) information on the nature and expected duration of abnormal situations there; and

(f) an indication of the sources of more complete information published in accordance with regulation 10.]

(2) Paragraph (3)(a) and (b) of regulation 10 shall apply to information provided under this regulation as it applies to information provided under that regulation.

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 9(1) substituted (26.6.2013) by The Quality of Bathing Water (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (S.R. 2013/151), regs. 1, 7

Commencement Information

I3 Reg. 9(1)(a) in operation at 30.9.2015, see reg. 1(6)

I4 Reg. 9(1)(b)-(f) in operation at 24.3.2012, see reg. 1(4)

I5 Reg. 9(2) in operation at 24.3.2012, see reg. 1(4)

Public information: duties of the Department N.I.

10.— [F2 (1) The Department shall use appropriate media and technologies including the internet to actively and promptly disseminate the information specified in regulation 9(1) together with the following additional information, in such languages in addition to English as are appropriate, having regard to the location of the bathing water and ease of understanding, namely—

(a) a list of all bathing waters;

(b) before the start of every bathing season, the classification in accordance with regulation 12 of every bathing water for the preceding three years;

(c) the bathing water profile of every bathing water;

(d) as soon as possible after completion of the analyses under Schedule 3, the results of the monitoring carried out in accordance with regulation 8 since the beginning of the current bathing season;

(e) where a bathing water is subject to or likely to be subject to incidents of short-term pollution—

(i) the conditions likely to lead to short-term pollution there;

(ii) the likelihood of the short-term pollution there and its likely duration;

(iii) the causes of short-term pollution; and

(iv) the relevant procedures for short-term pollution; and

(f) where a bathing water is classified as “poor” under regulation 12—

(i) the causes of pollution there; and

(ii) the management measures being taken there, under regulation 14, to prevent, reduce or eliminate the causes of pollution.]

(2) The Department shall—

(a) prepare a general description of every bathing water for use under regulation 9(1)(c); and

(b) make the information available to all bathing water operators.

(3) Information under this regulation shall—

(a) wherever possible, be provided using a geographic information system;

(b) be presented in a clear and coherent manner; and

(c) be in such languages, in addition to English, as are appropriate having regard to the location of the bathing water and the ease of public understanding.

Textual Amendments

F2 Reg. 10(1) substituted (26.6.2013) by The Quality of Bathing Water (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (S.R. 2013/151), regs. 1, 8

Commencement Information

I6 Reg. 10 in operation at 24.3.2012 in so far as not already in operation, see reg. 1(4)

I7 Reg. 10 in operation at 30.9.2015 for specified purposes, see reg. 1(6)