Monitoring raises fears of pollution risks at Killarney lake

The lake, a major tourist attraction and angling amenity, experiences annual algal blooms problems, despite extensive measures mitigating pollution from farms, private septic tanks and forestry.

Kerry County Council’s Cllr Michael Gleeson tabled a motion to the local authority seeking monitoring figures for the Flesk River.

The Flesk, the main conduit, flows along farm land from the highly forested area of the Cork-Kerry border into the lake as well as for the inlet known as The Folly Stream, which comes from the nearby demesne area alongside a waste treatment plant.

The councillor was informed that while the Flesk was of good quality, the Folly Stream was of less than good quality in its outfall into Ross Bay.

It emerged that, since January 2015, the Flesk and Folly Stream which flow into Loch Lein have been examined at least 50 times as part of EPA compliance and council monitoring programmes, using chemical and biological parameters.

The River Flesk satisfies criteria for good quality as lain down by Surface Water Regulations.

The council is insisting the Killarney Wastewater Treatment Plant, which outfalls to the Folly Stream, is ‘fully compliant’ with the Urban Wastewater Directive and the Emission Limit Values.

Cllr Gleeson said he wished to acknowledge the work of farming communities and forestry bodies along the Flesk but said the town stream was of great concern.

He said it was “contradictory”, in nature, to say the water from the treatment plant was acceptable but yet the stream, into which it flowed, was not.

The councillor sought further clarification on the findings and particularly to ensure there was nothing arising either in the stream or in the treatment plant which was leading to the contradictory readings.

“If the wastewater treatment plant is fully compliant, then why is the Folly Stream enriched and not in pristine condition?” he asked.

It was of huge importance, he said, that all water entering the lakes was of the very highest purity.

The main body of Lough Lein continues to be of good or acceptable quality as per surface water regulations, the council said.

An assessment of the suitability of the existing wastewater treatment plant outfall point to the Folly Stream will be carried out by 2021, the council also said.

“This assessment will have to take account of the existing quality status of the Folly Stream and its assimilation capacity to accept final effluent discharges from Killarney,” the local authority said in a statement.