Farming families around the country are playing an integral role in an ambitious National Federation of Group Water Schemes (NFGWS) drinking water-source protection project that aims to not only improve water quality, but also enhance biodiversity and safeguard against the impact of climate change.

Jointly funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the water scheme project represents a ground-breaking, interdepartmental approach to addressing environmental issues throughout rural Ireland.

Excess nutrients are the biggest issue impacting surface water bodies, with phosphorous particularly problematic in the northeast of the country and excess nitrogen more common in the south and southeast of the country.

Along with the danger they pose to aquatic ecosystems, they are also major drinking water contaminants.

Agricultural practices


Agricultural practices contribute to the pressures on water bodies, with pesticides and run-off from malfunctioning wastewater treatment systems among other issues of concern. 

The NFGWS project features the development of Integrated Source Protection Plans (ISPP) for 14 community-owned group water schemes around Ireland, that are scientifically based, GWS-specific plans that provide a framework for communities to work together to help protect or improve their local drinking water source.

The DAFM funding is supporting the actual implementation of targeted measures identified in ISPPs that will mitigate against agricultural pressures within seven GWS catchments.

Blown away’ by farmer response to water scheme

“This project is not about pointing the finger of blame, it’s about working together — it’s about working with the community to help everybody,” explained NFGWS Source Protection Programme Lead, Seán Corrigan.

“We’ve been blown away by the response from farmers we’ve met with as part of this project and those involved in our other source protection pilot projects around the country. Every single person has been keen to get on board and do what they can,” said Seán.

“The exciting thing about projects like this is that its success comes from the marriage of science and local activism. With support from ourselves and other stakeholders such as the local authorities and Teagasc, these group water scheme members are spearheading the change we need to tackle the climate and environmental crises we’re faced with.”

Work is well underway on a number of group water schemes, with the installation of fencing first beginning in the catchments of Crosserlough GWS and Erne Valley GWS in County Cavan.

This will prevent livestock access and help create vegetative strips, called ‘smart buffer zones’, along critical pollutant pathways on farmland, aimed at slowing down or capturing nutrient run-off before these contaminants make their way into water courses.

A smart buffer zone, designed to slow down or capture nutrient run-off in the catchment of White Lough, drinking water source for Stranooden GWS in Co. Monaghan

“Farmers are voluntarily giving up parts of their land to provide a service to the community — no different to the likes of a streetlight or a footpath,” continued Seán.

“Their efforts are of huge benefit to the local environment, protecting water and providing habitat for insects and animals of all shapes and sizes.”

“All of them want to leave the natural landscape in a better place for generations to come.”

Farming families now beekeeping

The project has also seen the roll-out of the award-winning ‘Let It Bee’ initiative in Erne Valley GWS. Thanks to funding from the Local Authority Waters Programme, five farming families in the GWS catchment have gotten involved in the art of beekeeping.

They’ve been provided with honey bees, hives, suits and all the necessary equipment, as well as training and mentoring from a local beekeeper.

The initiative encourages these families to act as ambassadors for biodiversity enhancement and educate their community on the dangers of pesticides. Initially launched as part of an NFGWS drinking water source protection pilot project in Co. Roscommon, ‘Let It Bee’ is a winner of the European Landowners’ Organisation’s European Bee Award 2020.

“Farmers like to farm — to produce a product. If they look after the bees by providing habitat, they can cut back on the use of pesticides and it will therefore help to improve water quality,” said Seán.

Water scheme initiatives

As mentioned by Seán, the project builds on learnings from similar initiatives by other group water schemes around the country.

Thomas Rushe, local farmer and manager of Corracreigh GWS, Co. Roscommon, and Tommy Farrell beside a fenced-off swallow hole within the GWS catchment

Smart buffer zones have been installed on farms within in GWS catchments in Co. Roscommon, while the ‘I planted a tree and my garden is pesticide free’ initiative saw pupils across primary schools in Roscommon and Newport, Co. Mayo each receive educational materials and a tree to plant at home.

In Co. Monaghan, the rate of acid herbicide detection has halved on the Derryvalley stream, the identified critical source sub catchment of the Upper Dromore River system from which Stranooden GWS abstracts its raw water supply.

This reduction, recorded in weekly sampling, is believed to be due in large part to a GWS programme of servicing and certifying boom sprayers being used by farmers on ‘improved grassland’ in the sub catchment.

These and other ongoing projects will not only assist in identifying a potential model for such work on more community-run drinking water supplies but can also help inform future agri-environmental schemes and other biodiversity and climate action plans.

Visit www.nfgws.ie to keep updated with this project, and to find other useful information on drinking water source protection.