Excessive pesticides in Kerry Water

FARMERS in North Kerry are being urged to be mindful of the use of pesticides on their land by Irish Water after it emerged that two water schemes in the area are on the watch list for excessive pesticides. The Listowel Regional and Lyreacrompane water supplies in Kerry are on the watch list for Glyphosate and MCPA respectively. MCPA is used to kill rushes and Glyphosate is used for weed control.

Irish Water moved to reassure public that the pesticide levels detected in these water supplies do not pose any immediate risk to health.

Commenting, Irish Water’s Regional Drinking Water Compliance Specialist Deirdre O’Loughlin asked farmers and landowners to be mindful of pesticides.

“Providing safe, clean drinking water for all is our first priority. In Ireland, the majority (82 per cent) of drinking water supplies come from surface water sources such as rivers, lakes and streams. Supplies such as the Lyreacrompane and Listowel Regional Supply are vulnerable to contamination from land and animal run-off. Irish Water asks users of pesticide products in the River Feale and Smearlagh river catchments to consider the vulnerability of the Lyreacrompane and Listowel Regional drinking water supplies to pesticide contamination, and the importance of these supplies to the local community.”

The National Pesticides and Drinking Water Action Group (NPDWAG) and the Department of Agriculture are working with farmers on the use of pesticides and are urging them to use best practice when managing their land.