If you wish to report a pollution incident in relation to beaches or bathing water, please call 0818 10 20 20.
Beaches
Lifeguards and Life-Saving Equipment
Lifeguard service is provided at Ardmore, Bunmahon, Clonea, Dunmore East and Tramore. Cover is generally provided at weekends in June and daily for July and August but see local signs for details.
Life-buoys are provided at many beaches and members of the public are asked to report any damaged or missing life-saving equipment that they notice to bathing@waterfordcouncil.ie
Beach users are advised to check local signage at each beach for times of lifeguard cover.
Beach Cleaning and Environmental Protection
Waste disposal and recycling bins are provided at the main bathing areas. Beach cleaners are employed by the council at busy bathing areas throughout the bathing season. Waterford City and County Council works with many local groups that help keep areas clean and tidy and their effort and interest is much appreciated.
Bathing areas are considered protected areas under the Council’s water pollution control programme, called the River Basin Management Plan. Targeted pollution control measures are implemented in the catchments of bathing waters in order to control both point and diffuse sources of pollution with the aim of safeguarding bathing water quality.
General Facilities and Access
Our aim is to facilitate safe access for the public to all bathing areas. Ardmore, Bunmahon, Clonea, Dunmore main strand and Tramore strand are suitable for wheelchair access.
Dunmore Councillors’ Strand is unsuitable for wheelchair access due to the steep slope from the carpark to the beach. Public Toilets are provided throughout the bathing season at Tramore, Dunmore, Ardmore, Bunmahon and Clonea.
Environmental Activities and Coastal Festivals
Through its environmental education officer Waterford City and County Council arranges beach awareness visits for nearby schools and assists in the school green flag programme. Areas of environmental and scientific interest are highlighted in the posters at each beach.
Expert guided beach walks are held during the summer on main beaches, and a beach photography competition is held each year.
Blue Flag and Green Coast Award Schemes
Additional to the national bathing water classification scheme, which is overseen by the EPA, there are voluntary Blue Flag and Green Coast Beach eco-awards schemes in operation. The Blue Flag scheme for large bathing areas, and the Green Coast scheme for small bathing areas, are operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education and are administered in Ireland by An Taisce. The key criterion for these awards is that the bathing water is of excellent quality.
The following bathing areas received awards from An Taisce for 2024:
- Blue Flag: Ardmore, Clonea.
- Green Coast: Guillamene Cove, Kilfarrassey, Annestown, Ballyquin, Curragh, Goat Island.
Waterford City & County Council intends to apply for Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards annually for all designated beaches when they become eligible.
Beach Bye-Laws and Control of Dogs
So that everyone can enjoy visiting and using County Waterford beaches, rules have been drawn up in the form of Beach bye-laws.
These control activities such as camping, parking, the lighting of fires, control of dogs, trading, etc. at beaches.
A complete copy of the beach bye-laws for County Waterford can be viewed at; Civic Offices, Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
In addition to the general requirements under the beach bye-laws, the walking of dogs on Woodstown, Tramore, Bunmahon, Clonea, Ardmore and Dunmore East beaches is controlled under the Control of Dogs Bye-laws 2003.
Dogs are not permitted within designated areas of the beaches between the hours of 11a.m. and 7p.m. during the months of June, July and August.
