There was “no significant change in any of the water quality indicators” for Ireland’s rivers,
lakes, estuaries and groundwaters in 2023, according to a new report published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In its Water Quality in 2023: An Indicators Report the EPA identified the “biggest issue impacting water quality” last year as nutrient pollution from agriculture and wastewater.
The report showed that water quality generally in Ireland is not improving and while “some improvements are being made, these are being offset by declines elsewhere”.
According to the EPA, average nitrate levels in rivers, groundwater, estuaries and coastal waters are “largely unchanged and remain too high in the east, south-east and south”.
It also highlighted that average phosphorus levels in rivers and lakes are also mainly unchanged and “remain too high in over one quarter (27%) of rivers and one third (35%) of lakes”.
The latest EPA report includes indicators for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus in rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal and groundwaters using both three-year averages and annual averages at national and regional scale.
According to the agency, nutrients are sampled at least four, and up to 12, times a year depending on the site, and data from 2023 has been included in the analyses.
The five regional areas which were under the spotlight were the border, midlands and east, south-east, south-west and western regions.
EPA
The latest water quality report outlines that annual average river nitrate concentrations nationally were the same in 2023 as in 2022 and that there was “no sign of an improvement”.
“Nitrate concentrations remain too high in 42% of river sites mainly in the south-east and midland and eastern regions,” the EPA stated.
The agency also found that:
- 20% of groundwater sites still have nitrate concentrations that are considered too high;
- The national annual average in 2023 was higher than in 2022 with both the south-east and midlands and east regions seeing increases;
- 17% of estuarine and coastal water bodies assessed were in unsatisfactory condition for nitrogen while N loads to the marine environment are largely unchanged over the past four years.
According to the EPA “elevated levels of nitrogen” in waters are found mainly in the east, south-east and south of the country and “are too high to support good water quality in our estuaries”.
“This is primarily attributable to intensive agricultural activities on freely draining soils in these areas,” it warned.
The agency also highlighted that the three-year average concentrations for nitrate in rivers show that “42% of river sites nationally have unsatisfactory nitrate concentrations (above 8mg/L NO3)12”.
It also found that annual average river phosphate concentrations nationally “were the same in 2023 as in 2022”.
“Average phosphate concentrations remain too high in 27% of rivers.
“Phosphate levels fluctuate annually but overall there has been no significant change over recent years,” the report highlighted.
Overall, the EPA found that “water quality in Ireland is not improving and nutrient levels remain too high in a large proportion of water bodies”.
According to Dr. Eimear Cotter, director of the EPA’s office of evidence and assessment, this is “disappointing”.
“While there are initiatives happening nationally, measures to address water quality are not being implemented at the scale or pace required.
“The quality of our water bodies will not improve until nutrient levels are reduced in areas where they are elevated.
“It is essential that there is full compliance with the Good Agricultural Practice Regulations
and that actions to reduce losses of nutrients from agriculture are targeted to where they are needed.
“We also need to see an acceleration in the pace at which Uisce Éireann is delivering improvements in wastewater infrastructure,” Dr. Cotter added.