Farming a source of water pollutants

A study of Ireland’s water quality has found that agriculture remains a major source of pollutants in water.

The Environment Protection Agency’s ‘Water Quality in Ireland Report’ also said that the Avoca River remains one of the most polluted rivers in Ireland. Water quality of the Avoca River remains poor, due to historic mining in the area and the discharge of untreated wastewater.

The report looked at the ecological health of Ireland’s rivers over a six year period from 2013 to 2018 by studying a range of aquatic organisms whose presence and numbers provide information about the quality of the water. The study also assessed the concentration of chemical substances in the water against a range of environmental quality standards.

The report argues that the main problem impacting on water quality is nutrient pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus. While the report’s authors acknowledged that a variety of conditions contribute to water pollution, they concluded that agriculture and the discharge of untreated waste water had a substantial impact on the quality of water nationwide.

It notes that works by Irish Water are ongoing, but argues that further works are required to improve water quality.

Overall, the report highlights that while efforts have made to improve water quality, ‘significant work for all sectors remain’. It also raises concerns that the quality of water bodies nationwide has declared over the last six years.

While the majority of rivers in the area of Wicklow County Council’s jurisdiction were classed as good or moderate, 11 per cent of rivers were classed as having a high ecological status, with 8 per cent classed as poor to bad.

High levels of cadmium in Glenealo river in Glendalough and copper, zinc and cadmium in the Avoca estuary due to the historic mining in the area was also highlighted.

In a statement, IFA President Joe Healy called on local authorities and Irish Water to address the discharge of untreated waste water into rivers and streams. He added, ‘over the past decade, farmers have spent over €2.5 billion bringing their farmyards up to the highest environmental standards. Also, over 40 per cent of all farmers in Ireland take part in the Department of Agriculture’s Green Low Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS), which is over-subscribed and closed to new entrants.’