Government sets new standards to combat river, lake pollution

The Government has stepped up efforts to control increasing pollution of Irish rivers and lakes by setting stricter water quality standards for phosphates, which will place new demands on agriculture and industry.

In a package announced yesterday by the Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Dan Wallace, guidelines have also been published for local authorities, who will have a strengthened role in ensuring targets are met over a 10-year period. In addition, the successful introduction of "catchment plans" is to be extended to managing and monitoring of the Liffey, Boyne and Suir catchments. This is a key feature of a new EU water directive.

The package is a response to the growing evidence of eutrophication in fresh water, which occurs when discharges in the form of phosphates (and nitrates) upset the natural chemical balance of water, making it vulnerable to pollution. Run-off of phosphates from land due to excessive application of slurry and fertiliser is the single biggest contributor. But other sources include sewage, industry and forestry, Mr Wallace stressed.

The new phosphate standards are part of the most significant water quality regulations set in Ireland, Mr Wallace said. "For the first time, we now have clearly formulated targets for reducing phosphorus in rivers and lakes. Water quality cannot be allowed to disimprove any further. In general, a 10-year time-frame will apply to the achievement of new targets."

All sectors will have to contribute to the process, with local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency supervising a concerted attempt to redress water quality deterioration over the past 25 years.

There would be cost implications, Mr Wallace said, but farmers could benefit by as much as £25 million a year. It was estimated that this amount was being spent unprofitably on fertilisers which did not secure any increase in production. "With these standards, there will be savings for the agricultural community and environmental benefits too." The vulnerable areas were known, and agriculture was the biggest single factor leading to phosphorus in these waters. Mr Wallace said setting the standards "represents a key response to the European Commission's concerns about implementation by Ireland of the Dangerous Substances Directive".

He was sure they would provide a clear indication of where Ireland was going in tackling its water pollution. The Commission has in the past threatened legal action against Ireland on the issue.

The environmental group Voice gave the package a cautious welcome, but feared the measures might be too little, too late, and polluters might avail of the option of a six-year extension on compliance. "Given that Ireland's rivers and lakes have been slowly dying for 30 years, it is of concern that if clean-up measures are deemed too expensive, the initial quality standards will not have to be reached until the year 2014," its spokeswoman, Ms Iva Pocock, said.