- Water quality Advice against bathing sampled 24 Aug 2026
- Wind 4 mph from N · gust 9
- Next tide High 04:32 today · 3.0 m
Rea's Wood is a lakeshore beach on Lough Neagh, in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.
Conditions now
Air
6°C
Partly cloudy
Swell
–m
period – s ·
Rain
0mm
last 48 hours
Water quality
A designated bathing water: DAERA samples it weekly through the bathing season (1 June–15 September).
Latest sample 24 Aug 2026: Advice against bathing — E. coli 700, intestinal enterococci 400 CFU/100 ml blue-green algae present
Sample history (40 shown)
| Date | E. coli | Ent. | Rating | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 2026 | 700 | 400 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 29 Jul 2026 | 280 | 250 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 21 Jul 2026 | 240 | 18 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 17 Jul 2026 | 320 | 27 | Advice against bathing | — |
| 16 Jul 2026 | 300 | 8100 | Advice against bathing | — |
| 7 Jul 2026 | 110 | 13 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 1 Jul 2026 | 400 | 40 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 23 Jun 2026 | 100 | 10 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 19 Jun 2026 | 110 | 23 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 15 Jun 2026 | 64 | 10 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 6 Jun 2026 | 140 | 13 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 5 Jun 2026 | 120 | 0 | Advice against bathing | — |
| 5 Jun 2026 | 2800 | 1000 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 10000 | 2300 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 3 Jun 2026 | 4000 | 600 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 27 May 2026 | 37 | 10 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 26 May 2026 | 0 | 0 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 3 Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 | Satisfactory | — |
| 9 Sep 2025 | 130 | 50 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 1 Sep 2025 | 210 | 60 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 29 Aug 2025 | 140 | 70 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 170 | 120 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 18 Aug 2025 | 56 | 15 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 12 Aug 2025 | 460 | 10 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 6 Aug 2025 | 130 | 10 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 1 Aug 2025 | 130 | 18 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 28 Jul 2025 | 470 | 30 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 25 Jul 2025 | 140 | 50 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 17 Jul 2025 | 380 | 40 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 9 Jul 2025 | 0 | 0 | Advice against bathing | yes |
| 9 Jul 2025 | 27 | 57 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2025 | 510 | 90 | Good | — |
| 26 Jun 2025 | 170 | 33 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2025 | 120 | 20 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Jun 2025 | 1200 | 900 | Satisfactory | — |
| 11 Jun 2025 | 70 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2025 | 100 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2025 | 1900 | 900 | Satisfactory | — |
| 19 May 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain. Bathing Water Profile (PDF).
Sewage & storm overflows
7 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi — 3 rated Unsatisfactory.
Modelled~111 spills/yrNI Water's prediction, all 7 combined
Measured in 202536 spills57 h · 9 in the bathing season · 3 of 7 monitored
Nearest 7 overflows
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umry Lodge CSO → Holywell Burn |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~18 | — |
| Massereene Lough Road WwPS → Six mile Water (Antrim) |
0.6 mi | Satisfactory | ~3 | 11 spills 2 in season · 46 h |
| Masserene Bridge CSO → Six mile Water (Antrim) |
0.7 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | — |
| Briar Hill CSO → Six mile Water (Antrim) |
0.8 mi | Satisfactory | ~71 | — |
| Dublin Road Antrim WwPS → Six mile Water (Antrim) |
0.9 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~14 | 25 spills 7 in season · 11 h |
| Belmont Hall Antrim WwPS → Six mile Water (Antrim) |
1.0 mi | To be Determined | — | 0 spills 0 in season · 0 h |
| Antrim FFT CSO | 1.2 mi | Satisfactory | ~4 | — |
How these are counted
“Modelled” is NI Water's hydraulic-model prediction of spills per year. “Measured” is from NI Water's event duration monitors, counted with the industry 12/24 method (discharges within the same 12- or 24-hour block count as one spill); the bathing-season figure (1 Jun–15 Sep) is our count from NI Water's published discharge log. An overflow with no monitor isn't known to be dry. Classification is NI Water's own.
Nearest wastewater treatment works: Antrim Milltown WwTW (1.0 mi → Lough Neagh) · Dunore Point 2 ST (2.2 mi).
Amenities & features
Parking
e.g. Lough Shore Car Park
7
Toilets
2
Cafes & food
e.g. Mann's Garden Kitchen
1
Benches
3
Viewpoints
1
Information
e.g. Millennium Milepost
1
Bins
1
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Belfast 14.9 mi
- Belfast 15.2 mi
- Carrickfergus 17.0 mi
2 more further away
- Carrickfergus 17.2 mi
- Larne 19.7 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
Alerts & advisories
Blue-green algae recorded in the latest samplelive
The DAERA sample on 24 Aug 2026 flagged blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) present. Blooms can produce toxins that are dangerous to dogs and children: keep pets out of the water and off scummy sand, and avoid contact. Blooms change fast — check current signage.