Excellent Bathing Water Quality for Dún Laoghaire Baths

Bathing water quality at Dún Laoghaire Baths is currently rated as excellent and the location is safe for swimming. Water is sampled and tested twice per month outside of bathing season and once per week during the season. The bathing season runs from 1 June until 15 September each year. Full bathing results are published on our website and on socials.

Dún Laoghaire‑Rathdown County Council was informed by the EPA of a ‘Poor’ bathing water classification for the 2026 season, based solely on 2025 results. However, when assessed over the full 2023–2025 period, water quality meets ‘Good’ standards, with 91% of samples rated ‘Excellent’. Two isolated incidents in July 2025 led to elevated readings but do not reflect the overall high water quality at the site.

The Council remains fully committed to ensuring Dún Laoghaire Baths is a safe and high‑quality bathing area. A comprehensive Management Plan has been submitted to the EPA, outlining short, medium and long‑term measures to improve resilience and reduce the likelihood of future pollution events.
These include:
 

• Notification of overflow events from the urban drainage network, in partnership with Uisce Éireann
• Targeted enforcement and public awareness campaigns to reduce dog fouling
• Participation in research projects such as:
  • Acclimatize II – a joint initiative involving the Dublin coastal local authorities, Uisce Éireann and UCD to identify sources of reduced water quality in Dublin Bay
  • UrbanDip – a prototype real-time bathing water quality sampler and pollution forecaster at Dún Laoghaire Baths
• Medium and long-term infrastructure measures being advanced by Uisce Éireann to mitigate stormwater overflow impacts

We will continue to provide transparent and timely updates to the public, with all test results, notices and explanations of water status clearly displayed at Dún Laoghaire Baths and published online throughout the season. We remain committed to protecting public health, enhancing water quality, and ensuring that the site continues to operate as a designated bathing area, with water quality restored to “Sufficient” or higher as quickly as possible.  Please read the full news item about the bathing water classification for Dún Laoghaire Baths.