The Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority is delighted with the Bathing Water Quality results for the current year, which shows that those areas which are exclusively served by IRIS (Douglas, Onchan, Castletown, Derbyhaven, Port St Mary and Port Erin) have achieved a quality of good or above for 99% of the sea water samples analysed during the summer. Tim Crookall, Chairman of the Authority, commented that: “Those areas which are connected to the existing IRIS network are showing the level of bathing water quality which we have been striving for and which we will deliver throughout the Island as the Regional Sewage Treatment strategy progresses.” The Department of the Environment, Food and Agriculture’s Environmental Protection Unit, in conjunction with the Government Laboratory, has analysed some 380 samples from 19 beaches around the Island during the period May to September. These samples are tested for the presence of bacteria which indicate contamination of the water from mammalian faecal matter. Dr Phil Styles of the EPU said that: “It is pleasing to note the number of samples which achieved the Excellent or Good standard in those areas which are connected to IRIS and where untreated sewage is no longer continuously discharged into the sea. The presence of some indicator bacteria in samples may be due to some wash off from farmland or other sources of contamination such as septic tanks but I am convinced that the IRIS sewage treatment strategy is a major factor in the improvement of bathing water quality found from Port Erin through to Onchan. It is hoped that these environmental improvements will continue as the IRIS programme is delivered to the remainder of the Island.” Tim Crookall has been monitoring the provision of effective sewage treatment for the Island since the IRIS strategy was first proposed in 1991. When asked to comment on those beaches in the West, North and East of the Island which failed to meet the mandatory guidelines for Good water quality he said: “Tynwald has been committed to delivering the environmental improvements which modern sewage treatment offers for almost 20 years. The business case for the IRIS Regional Sewage Treatment Strategy was approved in 2009 and the recently formed Water and Sewerage Authority, which I have the pleasure to Chair, is keen to deliver the remainder of this essential programme of works. Clean beaches and a healthy aquatic environment are a prime aim of the Authority and the residents in the West, North and East of the Island, which are not currently connected to modern sewage treatment facilities, expect us to deliver the schemes and the environmental improvements approved by Tynwald.” ENDS