Water quality of rivers, lakes, and coastal areas in Ireland worsened, EPA report

Water quality in Ireland has worsened significantly, and the country will fail the EU and national goal of restoring all waterways to good or better status by 2027, according to a new study from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The water quality of lakes, rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters has declined in the last five years, said the Environmental Protection Agency.

While improvements in water quality are being made in some areas, the agency’s latest assessment finds these are being offset by declines elsewhere, with areas in the south and southeast of most concern. This is due to their proximity to intensive agriculture, notably dairy farms, which is causing “run-off”.

The EPA’s Water Quality in Ireland Report (2016-2021), which assesses Ireland’s water quality, said, urgent action is needed to reduce nitrogen emissions from agriculture in these areas, the EPA has said.

The report said the overall ecological health of lakes, rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters has declined, meaning these water bodies are less able to support healthy ecosystems for fish, insects, and plants.

Director of the EPA’s Office of Evidence and Assessment Dr. Eimear Cotter said that the scale of the declines in estuaries and coastal waters is alarming.

She said that areas such as Cork Harbour, Wexford Harbour, and the Slaney, Suir, and Nore estuaries have lost their good water quality status, which “directly impacts the marine biodiversity and ecological value in these areas”.

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