Water Quality and Agriculture
The Nitrates Directive, implemented by means of the Nitrates Action Programme (NAP), is the key agricultural measure in Ireland’s River Basin Management Plan for preventing and reducing water pollution from nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) arising from agricultural sources.
Ireland’s NAP is recognised across the EU as one of the most comprehensive and robust national programmes across the Union. However, despite significant initial improvements in water quality in response to the NAP since its commencement in 2006, further improvements have not been observed over recent years. The EPA is responsible for carrying out the national water quality monitoring programme and produces annual reports on water quality outlining the condition and trends of Irelands waters including the pressures causing the impacts.
Conclusions from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) national assessment of water quality, include-
There is an overall net decline in our water quality. Agriculture is the most widespread and significant pressure impacting on water
- The most widespread issue from agriculture is elevated nutrient concentrations and the trends are showing a continuous and sustained decline in water quality
- The main problems from agriculture are loss of excess nutrients and sediment to water with losses arising from point sources such as farmyards or diffuse sources such as spreading of fertilisers and manures
Restrictions on spreading of Livestock manures, organic and inorganic fertilisers
The extract below is taken from the legislation (Good Agricultural Practice Regulations 2022) and it specifies the distances from a water body for spreading of slurry, soiled water and manures, requirements to the manner and application of fertilizers, periods when application is prohibited and limits on the amount of livestock manure to be applied.
Louth is located in Zone B. The minimum storage requirement for zone B is 18 weeks. The prohibition period on the application of chemical fertilizers is from the 15th September to the 29th of January, the prohibition period of organic fertilizers is from the 1st of October to the 15th of January and the prohibition period for farmyard manure is from the 1st of November to the 15th of January. Please note The prohibited period for application of organic fertilisers starts on 8th of October for each Zone 2022 and 1st October for each zone from 2023 onwards. Pre-defined scientific criteria for the application of slurry up to 15th October has been published2 and where this criteria is met, farmers may be eligible to spread slurry up to the 15th October of that year.
Soiled water storage and management – To reduce the impact of nutrient losses in the riskiest period, the spreading of soiled water will be prohibited for all milk producers from the following dates:
Between 21st and 31st December 2022
Between 10th and 31st December 2023
Between 1st and 31st December 2024 with exception of winter/liquid milk producers
Between 1st and 31st December 2025 onwards for winter/liquid milk producers
All holdings producing soiled water must have minimum 31 days storage from 1st December 2024 with exception of winter milk producers where storage must be in place by 1st December 2025
Keeping soiled water to a minimum
Soiled water includes water from concreted areas, hard standing areas, holding areas for livestock, and other farmyard areas where such water is contaminated by contact with any of the following:
Livestock faeces, urine or silage effluent,
Chemical fertilisers,
Washings such as vegetable washings, milking parlour washings or washings from mushroom houses,
Water used in washing farm equipment.
If soiled water is stored together with slurry, it is considered slurry for the purpose of the regulation and is therefore subject to the same storage and management requirements.
For example, wash down water which becomes lightly contaminated with livestock faeces/urine in the milking parlour shall, (subject to not exceeding the dry matter content and BOD thresholds specified in the Regulations), be considered to be soiled water. Wash down water that is allowed to enter slurry storage tanks is deemed to be slurry for the purpose of the Regulations and must comply with the rules pertaining to slurry.
Divert all clean water from roofs to a clean water outfall. Rainwater gutters and downpipes required for this purpose must be kept in good working condition. Likewise, clean water from clean yards and clean water from higher ground must be diverted to a clean water outfall.
Prevent clean water from becoming soiled. Keep the amount of soiled water that is produced on your holding to a minimum.
See Link to GAP Regulations 2022 for further information Click here
See Link to Nitrates Explanatory Handbook Click here
