Bathing Water Profile - Owenahincha, Little Island Strand (2022)

Bathing Water: Owenahincha, Little Island Strand

Bathing Water Code: IESWBWC110_0000_0200
Local Authority: Cork County Council
River Basin District: South Western
Monitoring Point: 131217E, 34939N

1. Profile Details: Amenities

Profile Id: BWPR00638 Beach activity zones No
Year Of Profile: 2022 Beach Information Yes
board
Year Of Identification 1992
Beach Wheelchair No
Version Number: 1
Car free zone No

Figure 1: Bathing Water Cars allowed on beach No

Cars not allowed on Yes
beach
Disability Access No
Dogs allowed on lead No
Dogs not allowed Yes
First Aid Yes
Lifebuoy at beach Yes
Lifeguarded zone Yes
Litter Bin No
Natural Sensitive Area No
Near Public Transport No
Parking Yes
Recycling facilities No
Toilets Yes
2. Bathing Water Details:
Map 1: Bathing Water Location & Extent

Bathing Water
location and Ownahincha Beach is located approx. 3km south east of the town of Rosscarbery in West Cork. The
extent: beach is situated at the north east of Rosscarbery Bay.

The Beach is officially known as Little Island Strand on the Ordinance Survey Maps. The OS maps show
Ownahinchy Strand to the west of Little Island Strand with a dune covered rocky outcrop separating the
two beaches.

Ownahincha beach is located in the Rosscarbery Bay Coastal Water Body (Waterbody Code
SW_110_0000). In the 2018–2021 River Basin Management Plan the WFD Status of Rosscarbery Bay
Coastal Water Body is described as “Unassigned” & the waterbody is considered to be “At Risk” status in
terms of not achieving its WFD water quality objectives.

The Ownahinchy River discharges to the sea to the west of the bathing water.

The bathing area is approximately 500m wide & is approx. 0.1 km2 in area

Main features of
the Bathing Type of Bathing Water
Water:
Ownahincha is a sandy beach backing onto sand dunes. This is an exposed beach and the sea can be
quite rough at times. The beach can be subject to very strong wave action & rip tides/strong currents.

Flora/Fauna, Riparian Zone

The sand dunes extend between 70m & 100m to the rear (north) of the beach. The public road runs along
the rear of the sand dunes & there are a number of mobile home parks at the northern side of the road, as
well as a pub & shop, There is no significant vegetation growing in the waters off the beach other than on
rocky outcrops or small islands in the bay.

Water Depth

The beach is a relatively gently sloping, sandy beach.

Tidal Range

The beach is Mesotidal with a tidal range of between 2-4m. (Tidal range at Cobh (which is nearest
Standard Port shown on Irish Tide Tables) is a maximum of 4.4m, the two nearest secondary locations for
which tide data is provided are Castletownshend to the west & Clonakilty to the east which are stated to be
0.4m & 0.3m respectively lower than Cobh).

Land Use
 The land use in the area immediately surrounding the bathing water is urban fabric consisting of private
domestic dwellings & holiday accommodation including large mobile home parks. The land use in the
general area around the bathing water is agricultural comprising intensive grassland & mixed arable
farming. The Waste Water Treatment Plant which serves Rosscarbery & Ownahincha is located on the
headland approximately one kilometer to the west of Ownahincha beach, & discharges to the bay in this
area.

Facilities; Public car parking is provided at the eastern end of the beach with a walkway through the sand
dunes to the beach.

Public toilet facilities are provided at the eastern end of the beach near the lifeguard station.

Lifeguards are on duty during the bathing season, times of attendance are shown on the local notice
boards.

The lifeguards provide emergency first aid services.

Sensitive Area

Approx. 1.2km to the west of the beach there is a proposed NHA, Rosscarbery Estuary, Sitecode 001075.

Approx 1km to the east of the beach there is an SAC, Kilkerran Lake & Castlefreke Dunes, Sitecode
001061.

Approx 2.8km to the south-east of the beach there is an SPA, Galley Head to Duneen Point SPA, Sitecode
004190.

Max. number of visitor during a day in high season: 100

Approx number of visitor during the bathing season: 250

Activities
available at the The beach is used by limited numbers of surfers, windsurfers, canoeists, & anglers.
Bathing Water:

Contributing
catchment Ownahincha Beach is located in the townland of Little Island (ED Rathbarry), approx. 3km south east of
details: the town of Rosscarbery in West Cork. The beach is situated at the north east of Rosscarbery Bay on the
coast of County Cork.

The contributing catchment of the bathing area is approximately 40 km2 in area.

Water Bodies Draining to Bathing Water

The Ownahinchy River (Waterbody Code IE_SW_20O030400) to the east, & the Tinneel Stream
(Waterbody Code IE_SW_20T020050) to the west, are the main freshwater inputs into the coastal waters
in the beach area, (see Map 2).

Biological monitoring of both rivers was carried out by the EPA in 2018.

The Ownahinchy River was monitored at 2 locations in 2018.The upstream location at Bridge South of
Bealad had a Q value of 4, the downstream location at the Bridge Upstream of Ownahinchy Bridge also
had a Qvalue of 4 which indicates good water quality.

The Tinneel Stream is monitored at one location upstream of Rosscarbery Village & the Q value was found
to be Q 3-4 in 2018 which indicates moderate water quality.

Ownahincha Beach is located within the Rosscarbery Priority Area for Action under the WFD 2018 – 2021
River Basin Management Plan.

Topography

The catchment consists of relatively steeply sloping hills & valleys rising to a height of 229 m in the
northern end of the catchment.

Land Use;

Farming in the catchment is mixed with intensive dairy farming as well as drystock & tillage.

There is a pig unit in the catchment and slurry from this unit is landspread in the catchment.
 Population Centres; Rosscarbery is the main centre of population in the catchment with an estimated
winter population of 602 persons & a summer population of 1,317 persons, (shown on Map 2).

The village of Ownahincha itself is situated north of the sand dunes which lie at the rear of the beach. The
resident population of the village is small estimated at 93 persons in winter, however this population
increases significantly during the summer tourist season, to an estimated 1,795 persons, as there is a
large mobile home park adjoining the village.

The population equivalent for the 2 agglomerations which are serviced by a single waste water treatment
system is estimated at 2,753 PE which is based on the summer population, (from Waste Water Discharge
Licence Application).

Permission has been granted in recent years for significant development in Ownahincha including;

146 mobile home units,

95 tourist apartments,

128 hotel bedrooms

7 private houses.

The population equivalent of these proposed developments is 1,305PE. These developments have not
proceeded as yet.

Lisavaird is a small village on the eastern side of the catchment, the village is not sewered, it is assumed
that these houses are served by individual on-site systems, (see Map 2).

Monitoring point
details: The grid reference for the nominal bathing water monitoring point is 131,217W 034,939N.

The precise location of the bathing water monitoring point can vary as referred to below depending on
tides & weather influences.

Reason for
selection of the The location of the bathing water monitoring point is the location where most bathers are expected to use
monitoring point: the bathing water. The bathing water monitoring point location chosen is always within the area patrolled
by the Lifeguards. This area can vary somewhat on this beach depending on tidal & weather influences, &
is marked by the Lifeguards flags.

Water quality
assessment: Bathing Water Quality 2018 to 2021

During the 2018 bathing season there were no occasions, (out of 9 bathing water sampling events), when
E.coli levels in the bathing waters did not meet the Excellent water quality status threshold for single
samples of ≤250MPN/100ml. (EPA guidance on classification standards for bathing waters for single
sample status assessment 2014).

During the 2019 bathing season there were no occasions, (out of 9 bathing water sampling events), when
E.coli levels in the bathing waters did not meet the Excellent water quality status threshold for single
samples of ≤250MPN/100ml.

During the 2020 bathing season there were no occasions, (out of 7 bathing water sampling events), when
E.coli levels in the bathing waters did not meet the Excellent water quality status threshold for single
samples of ≤250MPN/100ml.

During the 2021 bathing season there were no occasions, (out of 7 bathing water sampling events), when
E.coli levels in the bathing waters did not meet the Excellent water quality status threshold for single
samples of ≤250MPN/100ml.

Assessment of the Ownahincha bathing water under the Bathing Water Regulations 2008 (S.I. 79 of
2008), using E.coli & Intestinal Enterococci concentrations for the four-year assessment period 2018 to
2021 shows that the current classification for this bathing water is Excellent Quality.
3. Identified Pressures:
Map 2: Bathing Water Catchment
3.1 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing no risk:

Description: There is one municipal waste water treatment plant in the catchment area which services the
villages of Rosscarbery & Ownahincha. This plant is located in the townland of Creggane with a
direct outfall to the sea.

The Waste Water Discharge Licence Application (WWDA) for this plant states that the treatment
plant consists of two identical settlement tanks which provide primary settlement only, which
according to the National Urban Waste Water Study (NUWWS) reduces the BOD load by
approximately 30% and the Suspended Solids load by approximately 50%.
The treatment plant has sufficient capacity for the current population equivalent which is stated in
the WWDA to be 2,753 PE, it can cater for a population of up to 5,239 persons.
There are 5 pumping stations/storm overflows in the Rosscarbery collection network.

Source: Rosscarbery/Ownahincha Waste Water Treatment Plant

Type: Waste Water Treatment plant
Short Term Pressure: No

Description: The catchment area is predominantly an agricultural area with relatively intensive grassland &
tillage. There is a pig unit in the northern part of the catchment from which slurry is landspread
within the catchment.
Source: Agriculture
Type: Run off from agricultural land
Short Term Pressure: No

Description: There is a waste water pumping station located near the adjoining beach to the west of the identified
beach. The waste water from the settlement at Ownahincha discharges to this pumping station & is
then pumped to the Rosscarbery/Ownahincha waste water treatment plant. There is a storm
overflow on this pumping station which discharges to the Ownahincha river.

Due to the proximity of this pumping station to the designated bathing area it is considered that an
overflow from this location may pose a risk to the bathing water quality.
Source: Pumping Station at Ownahincha
Type: Sewer Networks
Short Term Pressure: No

Description: There are a significant number of individual houses located throughout the catchment which are
assumed to have on-site effluent treatment systems.
Source: On Site Waste Water Treatment Systems
Type: Septic Tank
Short Term Pressure: No

Description: There is a significant number of caravans/mobile homes located in parks to the north of the beach,
these discharge waste water to a pumping station in Ownahincha, & from there the waste water is
pumped to the Rosscarbery/Ownahincha waste water treatment plant.
Source: Caravan/Mobile Home Parks
Type: Discharges from tourist resorts
Short Term Pressure: No
3.2 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing risk:
No pressures identified

3.3 Other Risks:

Assessment of the
potential for proliferation Monitoring of the beach indicates that there is no significant potential for proliferation of
of cyanobacteria: Cyanobacteria on this beach.

Proposed management
measures for N/A
cyanobacteria:

Assessment of the
potential for proliferation Monitoring of the beach since it attained blue flag status indicates that there is no significant
of macroalgae: potential for proliferation of Macroalgae on this beach.

Proposed management
measures for N/A
macroalgae:
Assessment of the
potential for proliferation Monitoring of the beach since it attained blue flag status indicates that there is no significant
of marine phytoplankton: potential for proliferation of Marine Phytoplankton on this beach.

Proposed management
measures for marine N/A
phytoplankton:
Additional Information:
Name of beach operator responsible for the beach management:

Michael Tobin, Executive Engineer, Phone 023-8833347, Fax 023-8833147

michael.tobin@corkcoco.ie

Clonakilty Council Office,Emmet Square, Clonakilty.

John Murphy - District Supervisor, Phone 023-8833347

John.FinbarrMurphy@corkcoco.ie

Clonakilty Council Office, Emmet Square, Clonakilty.

For queries regarding the beach contact;

beaches@corkcoco.ie

Contact for Routine Sampling Issues/Bathing Water Analytical Results;

Kevin Motherway, kevin.motherway@corkcoco.ie

Environmental Directorate, Cork County Council, Inniscarra, Co. Cork.

Phone 021 4532718

4 Bathing Water Status From Previous Sampling Years:

2018 2019 2020 2021
Owenahincha, Little Island Strand Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Quality Quality Quality Quality

5 Contact Details:
Contact: Cork County Council
Email: wquality@corkcoco.ie
Address: Cork County Council, Inniscarra, Cork
Phone: 021 4532700