Decade-long decline: Irish waterways continue to be polluted

The EPA have today released their Water Quality Report indicating our waters have continued to be polluted by human activity, and that we have not made any significant overall improvements in water quality for the period 2019-2024. This follows a decade-long decline in water quality in Ireland. 

While there were some welcome improvements in certain areas for phosphorus pollution, these were overshadowed by decreases in the overall ecological quality of our waters.  

Nutrient pollution was identified as one of the main drivers of the declines, 44% of our rivers have too much nitrogen, and a third of our lakes have too much phosphorus. This is primarily attributable to intensive agriculture, which is a particular problem on free draining soils in the south and east. Urban wastewater, urban run-off and forestry are also significant nutrient polluters. 

Estuaries are the ultimate receptors of this nutrient pollution, and as a result have undergone what the EPA have referred to as precipitous declines, with 70% of them now in unsatisfactory condition. 

The report indicates that nutrient levels are not reducing in our waters. A step change in how we manage our waters is needed to address this long standing problem. 

Dr. Elaine McGoff, Head of Advocacy with An Taisce said: 

“This is yet another worrying EPA water quality report, once again highlighting a disimprovement in water quality in Ireland.  

While there were some improvements in areas which had additional measures and advice (Priority Areas for Action), these were the exception, and the overall trend is that our waterbodies have declined in ecological quality. 

While any improvements are welcome, it is unsurprising that this positive pollution trend was not reflected in the wider landscape. 

Farmers are jumping through a number of environmental hoops, but the measures they’re being asked to put in place don't work for all pollutants, and while they may work well for silt and phosphorus, which is what we’re likely seeing in these limited improving areas, they’re not designed for addressing nitrogen pollution. 

So the fact that agricultural nitrogen pollution didn’t improve in the south and southeast of the country should come as no surprise to anyone. Despite all the rhetoric about saving our nitrates derogation and turning the tide on water quality in Ireland, there is still no evidence of the necessary improvement across the board in our waters. 

Until we fix that and put the right measures in the places that we need them then we’re only fooling ourselves if we think the water quality trends are going to dramatically improve. 

Combine that with entirely avoidable pollution from malfunctioning urban wastewater treatment plants, along with ongoing pressure from a range of other sources including forestry, dredging and urban run-off and it’s really not a good news story for our waterways.  

We now need a step change in how we manage our waters and how we manage our land and wastewater.  We can’t keep doing largely the same thing and expecting a different outcome.” 

(Photo credit: Pixabay.com)