Blue Flag Beach Criteria
To be granted Blue Flag status for beaches , marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators must comply with a specific set of criteria relating to water quality, information provision, environmental education, safety and environmental management. The Blue Flag programme is funded in Ireland by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The Blue Flag Beach Criteria are summarised below but if you wish to see the full criteria please click here.
- Information about the Blue Flag Programme must be displayed.
- Environmental education activities must be offered and promoted to beach users.
- Information about bathing water quality must be displayed.
- Information relating to local eco-systems and environmental phenomena must be displayed.
- A map of the beach indicating different facilities must be displayed.
- A code of conduct that reflects appropriate laws governing the use of the beach and surrounding areas must be displayed.
- The beach must fully comply with the water quality sampling and frequency requirements of the Blue Flag programme.
- The beach must fully comply with the standards and requirements for water quality analysis.
- No industrial, waste-water or sewage-related discharges should affect the beach area.
- The beach must comply with the Blue Flag requirements for the microbiological parameters E.coli and intestinal enterococci.
- The beach must comply with Blue Flag requirements for physical and chemical parameters.
- The local authority/beach operator should establish a beach management committee.
- The local authority/beach operator must comply with all regulations affecting the location and operation of the beach.
- Sensitive areas at or near the Blue Flag beach must be managed.
- The beach must be clean.
- Algae vegetation or natural debris should be left on the beach.
- Waste disposal bins/containers must be available at the beach in adequate numbers and they must be regularly maintained.
- Facilities for the separation of recyclable waste materials should be available at the beach.
- An adequate number of toilets must be provided.
- The toilet must be kept clean.
- The toilet must have controlled sewage disposal.
- There should be no unauthorised camping, driving or dumping of waste on the beach.
- Access to the beach by dogs and other domestic animals must be strictly controlled.
- All buildings and beach equipment must be properly maintained.
- Coral reefs in the vicinity of the beach must be monitored.
- A sustainable means of transportation should be promoted in the beach area.
- An adequate number of lifeguards and/or lifesaving equipment must be available at the beach. In Ireland it is imperative that Blue Flag beaches are lifeguarded on weekends in June, daily in July and August and weekends in September unless an Irish Water Safety Risk Assessment states otherwise.
- First aid equipment must be available on the beach.
- Emergency plans to cope with pollution risks must be in place.
- There must be management of beach users and events to prevent conflicts and accidents.
- There must be safety measures in place to protect beach users.
- A supply of drinking water should be available at the beach.
- At least one Blue Flag beach in each municipality must have access and facilities provided for the physically disabled.