Members of the public have again been urged to share their views on a draft water-quality plan before a period of public consultation closes next week.

Today (Tuesday, March 22) marks World Water Day 2022. The event, which has been held annually since 1993, highlights the importance of fresh water and the sustainable management of the resource.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 92% of Irish ground water has achieved ‘good’ status or ‘better’.

However, recent EPA reports have indicated that nitrate concentrations in our groundwater are increasing.

From a total number of 4,842 water bodies in Ireland, the status of water in lakes, rivers and coastal waters as ‘good’ or ‘better’ lies at between 50 and 53%.

Overall, the EPA states that water quality is in decline due to a number of pressures including agricultural activity, hydromorphology and urban waste water.

Water quality

The new River Basin Management Plan, which is currently out on public consultation, is seen as a key tool in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

As part of the consultation process, over 1,000 people have attended 63 regional meetings held by the Local Authority Water Programme (LAWPRO) throughout the country.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien has urged more people to share their opinions on the draft plan.

“I’m pleased to see the level of engagement so far with this public consultation and I encourage people to make a submission by March 31,” he said.

“The challenges facing our water resources are real and urgent. The draft River Basin Management Plan is marked by its ambition to improve water quality and commitment to working with stakeholder groups to achieve this improvement.

“The theme of this year’s World Water Day is groundwater. I’m heartened to say that of all our categories of water bodies, our groundwater quality is generally good.

“However, that isn’t a reason for complacency and recent EPA data shows increased nitrate concentrations in our groundwater. Groundwater is essential to mitigating water shortage and with our changing climate, important in times of drought,” the minister concluded.

Members of the public can submit their views on water quality via the public consultation via gov.ie.