Water Quality is an issue too important to ignore

Sinéad Devaney, ASSAP Advisor, highlights the crucial role of farming in meeting Ireland’s water quality goals under the Water Framework Directive.

“All sectors of Irish agriculture will have to implement practice changes to achieve the desired improvements in Ireland’s water quality status,” said Professor Pat Dillon, Director of Research at Teagasc, during a packed session at the Teagasc National Dairy Conference in Limerick last month.

In Ireland, water quality targets are set under the Water Framework Directive, which requires all waters to reach ‘good’ or ‘high’ ecological status by 2027. Currently, 54% of Irish water bodies meet this standard. Agriculture is a significant pressure in 1,023 of the 1,649 water bodies identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as being ‘at risk’ of poor water quality. However, two-thirds of these water bodies face additional significant pressures.

Agriculture is the primary pressure affecting water quality in Ireland, as it is the country’s largest land use. The next most significant pressures are hydromorphology (channelisation), urban wastewater, and forestry.

There is substantial scope for improvement, and the agricultural industry—along with farmers—has a major role to play. Fortunately, supports are available to help achieve this.

Teagasc ‘Better Farming for Water’ Campaign

Teagasc has recently launched the Better Farming for Water campaign, highlighting eight key actions for change.

This campaign builds on existing water quality programmes such as ACRES, ASSAP, the Agricultural Catchments Programme, Farming for Water EIP, Waters of LIFE, Blue Dot Catchments, and the Slaney Project. By taking a multi-actor approach involving farmers, advisers, researchers, the agri-food industry, local communities, and government, the campaign ensures that local water quality challenges and solutions are addressed effectively at farm, catchment, and regional levels.

The campaign is part of a broader, whole-of-government effort to improve water quality. Its main goal is to support all farmers in reducing the nitrogen, phosphate, sediment, and pesticide loads entering the river network through either diffuse or point source pathways.

The Eight Actions for Change

1. Reduce purchased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) surplus per hectare.
2. Optimise soil fertility for lime, phosphorus, and potassium.
3. Apply fertilisers and organic manure at appropriate times and under suitable conditions.
4. Ensure sufficient slurry and soiled water storage capacity.
5. Minimise nutrient loss from farmyards and roadways.
6. Fence off watercourses to prevent cattle access.
7. Use targeted mitigation measures, such as riparian margins, buffer strips, and sediment traps, to reduce nutrient and sediment loss to water.
8. Maintain over-winter green cover to limit nutrient leaching from tillage soils.

Farming for Water EIP

The Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP) will provide €50 million to approximately 15,000 farmers until the end of 2027. This funding supports a range of measures aimed at improving water quality.

Potential measures include stream fencing, alternative water supplies, nose pumps, solar pumps, fenced margins, riparian buffer zones, hedge and tree planting, and more. Farmers can choose from over 40 measures, such as preparing a rainwater management plan, completing a farmer training course, and creating a Nutrient Management Plan.

The grants are specifically targeted at farms located within Priority Areas for Action (PAAs). Farmers will consult with their ASSAP adviser to determine the most suitable measures for their land and will receive support during the straightforward application process.

Measures for Every Farm This Winter

There are simple steps every farmer can take this winter to improve water quality:

• In the farmyard, divert clean water away from soiled yards and into fields. Avoid allowing clean water to enter slatted tanks, which reduces valuable tank space needed for slurry storage.
• Check for dripping taps, leaking troughs, or faulty pipework that could be directing clean water into tanks.
• Use the Catchments.ie website to check the water quality status of your local water body.
• Contact your ASSAP adviser to see if your farm is located within a Priority Area for Action (PAA), as this could make you eligible for funding through the Farming for Water EIP.

The Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) is a free, confidential advisory service for farmers in Priority Areas for Action. Its aim is to support farmers in implementing actions to improve water quality on their farms.

For more information, contact Sinéad Devaney, ASSAP Adviser