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Water

Water Quality

Preservation and improvement of our surface waters and groundwater is vital. The majority of the rivers in county Westmeath are failing to meet the standards set under the Water Framework Directive .

Everyone can contribute to maintaining and improving the quality of our surface waters and groundwater:

• Report an activity that may cause pollution.
• Maintain your septic tank or effluent treatment system in good condition.
• Ensure that foul and surface water connections are correct. Sinks, showers, toilets, washing machines & dishwashers should drain to the foul system) Roofs, paths, driveways should drain to the surface water system.
• Do not dispose of fats, oils and grease "down the drain"
• Do not use an in-sink waste disposal unit. This type of waste should be composted if possible.
• Enjoy the amenity of our rivers and lakes.
• Comply with the prohibition periods for the application of manure, slurry, chemical & organic fertiliser which are as follows:

	Fertiliser type	Prohibition dates
	Chemical Fertiliser	15th of September -15th of January
	organic fertiliser (includes slurry, soiled water and sewage sludge)_	15th of October – 15th of January
	Farmyard Manure	1st of November – 15th of January

Septic Tanks registration update:Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems Registration (Septic Tanks Registration) 

Water Framework

The Water Framework Directive requires us to achieve a good status for all rivers by 2015.

The country is divided into eight river basin districts (RBD). Westmeath County Council are in two River Basin Districts i.e, Eastern RBD and Shannon RBD.

The Council participates in the management of these river basin districts by monitoring the quality of the water and implementing the programme of measures as set out in river basin management plans. These measures include identifying point and diffuse sources of pollution and enforcing existing legislation in order to eliminate them.

For more information please see www.wfdireland.ie

Implementation of the River Basin Management Plan

Working Together to Improve and Protect the Water Quality In County Westmeath

Water is essential for all living things but when the quality of the water deteriorates then we have to do something about it.

It was from the need to protect and improve water quality that the Water Framework Directive was derived and the publication of River Basin Management Plans.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a key initiative aimed at improving water quality.  It applies to rivers, lakes, groundwater, and coastal waters.  The Directive requires an integrated approach to managing water quality on a river basin basis; with the aim of maintaining and improving water quality. 

The Directive requires that management plans be prepared on a river basin basis and specifies a structured approach to developing those plans.  It requires that a programme of measures for improving water quality be brought into effect by 2012 at the latest.  River Basin Management Plans are to be prepared and renewed in six year cycles and the first plans cover the period to 2015. 

There are eight River Basin Districts (R.B.D.) in Ireland:

• the Shannon
• Neagh Bann
• North Western
• Eastern
• South Eastern
• South Western
• Western
• North Eastern.

Each R.B.D has published a river Basin Management Plan.

The River Basin plans set out the road map for the protection and improvement of our waters in the period to 2015 and beyond.  They cover approximately 800 groundwater bodies and 5,000 surface water bodies (canals, rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters). 

The plans set out:

• the current status of our waters;
• the objectives to be achieved by 2015
• the programme of measures to be implemented in order to achieve those objectives.

They aim for significant improvements in water quality but they also recognise that in some cases soils and waters will take time to recover even where measures to address pollution have been put in place.  The plans aim to improve the proportion of rivers and canals at good or high status from 54% currently to 68% by 2015, and the proportion of lakes at good or high status from 65% currently to 84% by 2015. 

The river basin plans are supplemented by Water Management Unit Action Plans which provide more detail on measures that are to be implemented at a local level. The responsibility for implementing the measures in the action plans rests primarily with the local authorities, various Government Departments and Agencies, and other sectors such as agriculture and industry.

It is to this end that Westmeath County Council Environment Section shall be carrying our extensive environmental inspections in the Eastern River Basin catchment over the period April - August.

The inspections shall cover the area of agriculture, septic tanks, commercial and industrial premises, illegal dumping and the extractive industry. The principle objective of the inspections shall be to protect and improve water quality through participation and co-operation of everyone within the catchment.

Map of County Westmeath showing the location of the Water Management Units:

 

 

 

Bathing Waters

Bathing Waters are an important amenity, valuable for both their tourism and recreational potential.  It is important that they are afforded the appropriate protections in accordance with legislation, including the European Union's Bathing Waters Directive.  The Directive requires that water quality at all designated bathing waters meets stringent microbiological standards in order to protect the health of people who choose to bathe there.

The Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC) is concerned with the management of bathing water quality generally, with the exception of swimming pools, spa pools and waters used for therapeutic purposes.

Article 1.3 of the Directive states that it applies to: "Any element of surface water where the competent authority expects a large number of people to bathe and has not imposed a permanent bathing prohibition, or issued permanent advice against bathing"

This Directive came into force on 24 March 2006 and will repeal the existing 1976 Directive with effect from 31 December 2014.

The Directive was transposed into Irish Law by the Bathing Water Quality Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 79 of 2008). The 2006 Directive establishes a new classification system for bathing water quality based on four classifications "poor", "sufficient", "good" and "excellent" and generally requires that a classification of ‘sufficient’ be achieved by 2015 for all bathing waters.  Transitional measures are in place until the new Bathing Water Quality Regulations 2008 (SI No. 79 of 2008), are fully implemented.

The quality of bathing water in Ireland for 2009 (EPA Bathing Water Quality Report 2009), was generally of a high standard.  The number of designated seawater bathing areas was 122 and there were 9 designated inland bathing areas. 

Westmeath’s designated bathing waters are:

• The Cut, Lough Lene
• Lilliput, Lough Ennell
• Portnashanagan, Lough Owel.

Compliance with the standards for the combined total of 131 Bathing Waters showed no change for the mandatory standard for 2009 (93% compliant) and an increase in compliance levels for the guide standard (82% compliance in 2009, up from 78% compliance in 2008).

 Legislation

The legislation governing the quality of bathing waters for the 2010 season continues to be the Quality of Bathing Waters Regulations, 1992 (S.I 155 of 1992) and amendments, which transposed the earlier 1976 EU Directive concerning the quality of bathing water.  The purpose is to ensure that bathing water quality is maintained and if necessary improved so that it complies with specified standards designated to protect health and the environment.

 Public Participation

The new Directive and Regulations require public participation in the identification process. This consultation process provides the public with an opportunity to:

• comment on existing designated bathing waters with a view to continuation of designation
• comment on other bathing waters not currently designated but which may be considered for designation.

Information on existing designated bathing waters is available on the Splash website: www.bathingwater.ie .

Criteria to be used for identification of Bathing Waters

The term ‘large numbers of bathers’ is not defined by the Directive but should be assessed in light of past trends at the site or to any infrastructure or facilities provided to promote bathing.

Generally, a ‘large number of bathers’ will be found at popular, well-used bathing waters and lakes where bathing is encouraged and facilities for bathers have been provided.  European law and practice has made it clear that the number of bathers is not the only relevant criterion for identifying bathing waters

In making your submission in relation to the identification of bathing water sites, it might be helpful to consider the following factors, in addition to numbers using the site:

1. Past trends;
2. Infrastructure or facilities provided (including accessibility);
3. Safety considerations

 Splash!

Splash is a website that gives information on bathing water quality, blue flag status etc at 131 bathing areas around Ireland.

See http://www.bathingwater.ie for further information.

Monitoring

Environment Section staff carry out extensive environmental monitoring which includes water quality in rivers and lakes.

Download Water Framework Directive for further information.

 

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