Review of the Environmental Protection Agency

The long awaited review of the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been published today. Although some 58 recommendations were made some concerns about the review have been raised.   For further information use the link.

Water Quality in Ireland 2007-2009

The season for National reports continues with the latest  report on the surveillance programme of Irish water quality dealing with rivers, lakes, estuaries and groundwaters has been published by the Environmental Protection Agency. The report Water Quality in Ireland 2007-2009 can be downloaded from the EPA website.

The programme monitors some 13,118 km of river channel comprising 1,700 rivers, as well as 222 lakes, 89 estuarine and coastal sites and 211 groundwater monitoring stations. The problem with all such surveillance programmes is that not all water bodies can be included so there are many gaps in what is being monitored. However, having said that, the overall conclusion is that water quality in Ireland is being maintained but according to the EPA themselves the quality of Irish water quality remains only just above the European average which is disappointing. The reports shows that 70% of river channel is of good quality status in accordance with the Water Framework Directive although the remainder are polluted to varying degrees. Overall, 85% of groundwaters were also of good status and 90% of lake area is in a satisfactory condition. The EPA remain committed to improving water quality in Ireland.

Irish EPA Drinking Water Quality Report

Copyright EPA

Yesterday the Environmental Protection Agency published its annual report on the quality of Irish drinking water quality for the period 2008/2009. The report covers 944 public water supplies and shows problems of faecal contamination and high trihalomethanes in some supplies. The number of private group water schemes where E. coli was detected dropped from 134 in 2008 to 87 in 2009 with17% of all private group water schemes identified as microbially compromised at least once during 2009. The EPA indicated improvement is required in the compliance of aluminium and turbidity parametric values. At the end of 2010 there were 264 supplies requiring remedial action to bring them up to standard.