Blame It on the Sunshine

Almost TWO more months until Sludge hits the sunny OBX beach!

Council says algae are causing brown sludge and foul smells... [IT 05.22.10]

Foul smells and the appearance of brown sludge on beaches around Dublin Bay are the result of sunny weather and not sewage, Dublin local authorities have said.

Residents in Dublin have in recent days reported sewage-like odours in the north and south bay areas, and stretching inland as far as Dundrum in south Dublin. Diggers have also been seen removing piles of foul-smelling, heavy brown sludge from Dollymount Strand on the north side of the bay.

However, while the sludge has an appearance and smell similar to that of raw sewage, a spokesman for Dublin City Council said it was a naturally occurring algae which had overproduced because of the recent warm weather.

"It's called ectocarpus. It's a naturally occurring algal bloom caused by high amounts of sunshine."

He said the sludge, while unpleasant, was perfectly harmless, and did not contain any treated or untreated sewage. It was not in any way related to emissions from the Ringsend waste-water treatment plant. Diggers were being used to remove the sludge from beaches, as swimmers found it off-putting...