Consultation with public on quality of river water

People across County Meath are being asked for their views on what can be done to improve water quality in local rivers - after recent reports show the effects of climate change are becoming more noticeable.

A public consultation on the Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland is currently underway.

Agencies responsible for protecting Ireland’s rivers claim that agriculture, forestry, and urban wastewater treatment are among the leading causes of pollution in our rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters.

“There’s a big effort involving a lot of organisations trying to pinpoint what’s happening in our rivers. We need local people to help us get a better understanding,” says Aoife McGrath, Community Water Officer with the Local Authority Waters Programme, also known as LAWPRO. She continues:

“We live in unprecedented times. The effects of climate change and loss of biodiversity are clear, and this will have knock-on effects for our health and wellbeing. This is especially true with water quality in our rivers.”

The Local Authorities Water Programme - LAWPRO - works with the 31 local authorities in Ireland, assessing the condition and health of water bodies. While some water bodies have improved, unfortunately half the rivers and lakes in Ireland are failing to meet good water quality standards.

“We need urgent action to stop the decline, reverse the damage and protect these vital natural resources.”

Those interested should register for an online meeting. Two meetings for county Meath are scheduled - for Meath West on Monday 7th March at 7.30pm and Meath East on Thursday 10th March at 7.30pm.

These meetings will provide vital information on the Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027, a questions and answers session and a discussion on local issues. Register for your local meeting at www.lawaters.ie or via Facebook @LAWPROteam.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s navigable waterways are explored in a new podcast series from Waterways Ireland called ‘Waterways Through Time’.

Presented by historian Turtle Bunbury, the eight-part series takes the listener through the history and archaeology of Ireland’s waterways, including the canal network; how rivers and lakes were named; the archaeological legacy of the Mesolithic; Neolithic and Bronze Age periods; the geological origins of the rivers and lakes and the land through which the canals were cut.

Ireland’s early Christian settlements along the inland waterways are also explored. The series, available on podcast outlets, also features interviews with lockkeepers on the Barrow navigation, the Shannon, and the Grand Canal.