A ‘Do Not Swim’ notice has been issued for Kilkee Beach following the discharge of wastewater into the sea there.
The swimming ban has been issued on the advice of the HSE, as they await water quality tests.
The ban comes as two major swimming events were to be held there today.
Clare County Council has removed its Blue Flag and raised red flags at the beach in Kilkee until further notice.
Heavy rain overnight has seen a pipe burst, which has caused wastewater to be discharged into the sea, necessitating the move.
Irish Water is aware of the issue.
A similar problem occured two years ago, when an electrical fault at the wastewater treatment station saw sewage discharged, leading to a week-long swimming ban.
Kilkee Fianna Fáil Councillor Cillian Murphy expects it will be a number of days before it reopens.
Today’s closure comes as two major events were to be held at Kilkee beach today.
This morning, the Munster Junior Lifesaving Championships with up to 300 participants was to take place there – that’s been moved to Miltown Malbay – while the annual Kilkee Bay Swim was also scheduled for the afternoon.
In a statement, Clare County Council says the red flags will fly until water quality tests are carried out, to allow Irish Water to investigate the issue.
Clare County Council in consultation with the Health Service Executive have put a bathing prohibition notice in place at Kilkee beach.
