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Spotlight On: Water Quality In Northern Ireland
When we think of the water crisis, we typically consider the amount of water that there is available – and water stress and scarcity are both topics that are often discussed within the context of population growth, climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events like drought and flooding.
However, water quality is another aspect of the crisis that can no longer be ignored, with recent research from the University of Birmingham highlighting figures from the United Nations Environment Programme revealing that 34 per cent of the 130,000 waterways around the world failed to achieve good chemical status in 2020.
In addition, 100 per cent of rivers in England, Sweden, Germany and Belgium failed to meet the required standards, with thousands of pollutants now at detectable levels in the natural world as pharmaceutical, pesticide and fertiliser use increases globally.
Looking at the UK specifically, it seems that the pollution levels have grown so bad that the country is consistently ranked as one of the worst in Europe for coastal water quality, while freshwater resources are similarly affected, with just 14 per cent of our rivers classified as having good ecological status.
Water quality in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, auditor general Dorinnia Carville recently published a report on water quality in the country’s lakes and rivers, concluding that European targets for driving improvements and achieving good ecological status by 2027 will not be met.
Despite work being undertaken to improve water quality, in 2021 less than a third of rivers in the region were classified as being good, with no improvements made since 2015. As for lakes, just 14 per cent were considered to be in good ecological condition in 2021, down from approximately 24 per cent in 2015.
The continuing issues facing water quality are, in part, down to excess nutrients building up in rivers and lakes, with current strategies adopted by the public sector ineffective at managing agricultural practices, according to the report.
There is some good news, however, and it seems that while water pollution incidents relating to NI Water activities account for one in eight of all pollution cases, the total number of incidents fell by 43 per cent between 2017 and 2023.
Ms Carville said at the time: “There have been long-standing concerns over water quality in Northern Ireland. Further work is required across a number of areas to ensure that these water sources are protected from damage, and that steps are taken to achieve the required regulatory standards.”
“Better and sustained engagement with stakeholders including the agriculture sector is needed, and consideration should be given to enhancing the effectiveness of regulatory and inspection work.
“Better use of data will also help, both in helping target testing at areas most at-risk, and to help benchmark Northern Ireland with regions experiencing better outcomes in regards to water quality.”
Stark warnings issued
This month (September), the UK’s Office of Environmental Protection (OEP) criticised Stormont’s failure to protect Northern Ireland’s water quality, saying that the current plans are insufficiently resourced and vague… and if action isn’t taken to implement changes, it will become increasingly expensive to resolve – and the damage done may be irreversible.
According to RTE, the OEP has said that one water quality target has already been missed and if better strategies are not brought in, another will be missed by “a large margin” come 2027.
The Executive was apparently meant to update its water improvement plans three years ago, but this is still yet to happen, with the OEP viewing its efforts as generalised and high level, without the specific time-bound targets in place that will be needed to ensure delivery.
Water quality concerns in Northern Ireland have once again been brought to the fore by the appearance once again of toxic algal blooms in Lough Neagh for the second consecutive year, driven by factors including excessive nutrients building up in the country’s six main rivers.
The OEP issued a statement, saying: “Not only has there been little overall positive change in the status of water bodies in recent years, there has also been some apparent regression. We see a significant need to strengthen how Northern Ireland’s environmental law on water is applied to increase its effectiveness.”
Andrew Muir, Stormont’s agriculture minister, said he took the OEP’s findings very seriously, adding that a new strategy has been developed that will address the issues facing Lough Neagh, with some funding secured to move forward with improvements… although he did add that there will be no quick fix to the situation.
He added: “Lough Neagh has become a wakeup call for water quality issues and this report is a timely reminder of the work required, not only across government but the public and private sectors.”
Become a water steward
Businesses can become part of the solution instead of part of the problem by prioritising water quality management and operating more sustainably, with environmental protections at the heart of all they do.
Developing supplier codes of conduct, for example, and implementing contractual obligations across your supply chain can make significant inroads where water quality and pollution is concerned.
To find out more about how to improve the water management of your business and how to become a more effective water steward, get in touch with the H2o Building Services team today.