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REPRESENTATION PERMANENTE RUE FROISSART ..—
DE L'IRLANDE
AUPRES DE

L'UNION EUROPEENNE

1040 BRUXELLES
TEL. 230 86 80

 

FAX 230 32 03

13 June 1997

Head of Unit

03/88

DG11

European Commission
Boulevard du Troimpe, 174
1049 Bruxelles

Managing Ireland's Rivers and Lakes
A Catchment-Based Strategy Against Eutrophication

Dear

Please find enclosed three copies of the above catchment-based
Strategy which was launched by the Minister for the Environment,
Mr. Brendan Howlin, on 22 May, 1997. A copy of the Minister's
press statement is also attached for information.

Yours sincerely,

 

Environment Attache

ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES: Ö SHEIRBHISI EOLAIS AN RIALTAIS Tel: (01) 660 7555 Telex: 93938

   
   
   

   
   
 

  
  
  

ONBEHALFOF THARCEANN
Department ofthe Environment, An Roinn Comhshaboil,
Custom House, Teach an Chustaim, .

Dublin1. Tel. (01)6793377 Baile AthaCliath 1. Tel. (01)6793377

   
    

        

  

Fax 8742710 Fax 8742710

   

Howlin announces Strategy for he Management of Ireland’s Rivers and Lakes

The Minister for the Environment, Mr. Brendan Howlin, today (22 May) announced
a catchment based Strategy for the management of rivers and lakes with the primary
aim of ensuring high standards of water quality. This new approach is being
commenced by the immediate appointment of consultants for the implementation of.
comprehensive catchment monitoring and management systems for Lough Derg and

Lough Ree.

The objective of the Strategy is to redress the deterioration in water quality in rivers
and lakes caused by excessive inputs of phosphorus as evidenced by the EPA’s report
on Water Quality in Ireland, 1991-1994. That report recorded an increase in slight
. and moderate pollution in rivers from 21% to 28%, while 18% of lakes surveyed were
found to be polluted. The Strategy provides. a clearer focus on, and a more systematic
approach to, the problem of eutrophication caused by excessive enrichment by
nutrients. It emphasises the importance of good water quality to the sustainable
development of river and lake catchments in terms of agriculture, tourism, industry

and other economic activity.

erDi,n

The Minister stated "Water quality management must be driven by clearly formulated
targets to assess progress and, where appropriate, to provide the basis for policy
review. The strategy I am announcing today will address these deficiencies and set

ambitious targets for the delivery of water management policy."

The Minister went on to identify key elements of the Strategy:

Targets

® no further disimprovement in the quality of rivers and lakes;

o setting interim targets for phased improvements.in the condition of rivers and
- lakes currently affected by pollution;

® pursuance of the overall objective of eliminating pollution from all rivers and’
lakes;

li n r
® underpinning these targets by setting water quality standards for phosphorus,
the nutrient primarily implicated in the pollution of rivers and lakes;

Catchment Management
o adoption of the river/lake catchment as the unit for planning water management

and protection policies,

Sewage |
o implementation of a major capital investment programme in sewage
infrastructure, e

o review of controls'governing domestic effluent treatment systemns.

Agri r
o the promotion of nutrient management planning as a key management tool for

farmers,

® targeted reduction of 10% per annum in artificial P fertiliser usage over the

next five years,
© greater uptake under the Rural Environment Protection Scheme,

® more intensive promotion of the Code of Good Agricultural Practice,

' Detergents

© further reduction in phosphate content of. detergents,

Industrial Effluents

© regulatory authorities to seek reductions in the phosphate content of industrial

effluents.

The Strategy will be activated immediately in two lake catchments on the Shannon,
Loughs Derg and Ree, with monitoring and management systems being established in
each case. The systems, which will.cost just over £2 million, will place considerable
emphasis on the identification and location of. pollution sources in the catchments.
Comprehensive surveys of the lakes and tributary rivers and streams will be carried
out and laboratory facilities will be upgraded to cope with more intensive monitoring.
In addition, studies of agricultural activities in the catchments will also be carried out.
The objective will be to develop an integrated water quality management system for
each catchment. Implementation of each project will be overseen by a separate Project
Operational Management Group. These groups will be representative of the wide
range of statutory and sectoral interests having a role/interest in the improvement of
water quality in the catchments e.g. local authorities, Regional Fisheries Boards,
' Teagasc, relevant local interest groups such as farm bodies, angling clubs, etc.

Establishment of these systems goes hand in hand with the upgrading of sewerage
networks and the provision of phosphorous reduction facilities for both catchments.
Already, Cohesion Funding for sewerage schemes in Lough Derg and Lough Ree,
costing £l8m and £12m respectively, has been approved by the European

Commission.

The Minister also announced: that he was approving contract documents for the
Portumna sewerage scheme in the Lough Derg catchment. The scheme, which will
cost £5.4 million and for which EU Cohesion funding has been secured, will involve
upgrading of the existigg sewage treatment works to provide secondary treatment and.

also phosphorus reduction facilities.

Commenting on the importance of both lakes, the Minister said "Lough Derg and
Lough Ree are major natural resources providing valuable supplies of drinking water
and are important centres for tourism and recreational activities. Implementation of
these monitoring/management systems, together with the significant investment by my
Department in sewerage infrastructure, will see real improvements in the water quality
in these. lake catchments in the years to come". The Minister said that similar
monitoring/management systems for the River Suir, River Boyne and River Liffey
Catchments will also be advanced this year as part of the Strategy.

The Minister welcomed the scope for participation by sectoral interests and
environmental groups on the management structures that will oversee delivery of the
Strategy in Loughs Derg and Ree. "Such inclusiveness should also be a feature of the
strategies to be developed by local authorities, in cooperation with regional authorities
where appropriate, for other catchments." concluded the Minister.

ENDS

22/5/97

Further information:
PacMacken
Press and Information Office
Tel: +353 1 873 0363 (direct)
+353 1 679 3377 Ext. 2510
087 575232 (Mobile)
Fax: +353 1'874 8402
E-Mail:pat_macken@environ.irlgov.ie