Zero pesticide exceedances in Longford public drinking water supplies

There were no exceedances for pesticides in the public drinking water supplies in Co Longford in 2022, Uisce Éireann has confirmed.

However, the utility is urging domestic gardeners, farmers, grounds keepers and other users of pesticide products to consider the environment and whether pesticide use is necessary in the first instance. 

MCPA is still the most detected pesticide in drinking water sources and is present in many commonly used herbicide products used to control thistles, docks and rushes. However, it often ends up in drinking water supplies.

Uisce Éireann is asking users of any herbicide or pesticide products in Co Longford to consider the vulnerability of the water supplies to pesticide contamination and the importance of these supplies to the local homes and businesses in the community. 

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Uisce Éireann and the NPDWAG are asking the farming community, greenkeepers, grounds keepers, and domestic users of pesticides, to consider in each case whether they need to use pesticides at all. Pesticides must only be used where strictly necessary and only after the possibility of using other control methods has been carefully considered. Minimising pesticide use not only helps to protect water quality but also has multiple wider environmental benefits. 
 
For example, leaving areas unsprayed can help native flowering plant species to grow and support a range of insects including bees and other vital pollinators. One third of Ireland’s bee species are threatened with extinction and by helping the bee population survive and thrive we are also helping to protect our precious water sources. For more information on practical ways to help bees and other pollinators, check out the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan at pollinators.ie. Farmers should also bear in mind that the application of herbicides reduces sward species diversity and could negatively impact on payments through agri-environmental schemes.

Where pesticide use is considered necessary, the NPDWAG continues to work with local communities to ensure that best practice measures to protect drinking water sources and biodiversity are always followed. Farmers and other landholders dealing with the challenge of rushes should note the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) guidance on the sustainable management of rushes. This approach is based on the concepts of containment or suppression and aims to minimise the use of pesticides. More information on this can be obtained from your local farm advisor or on www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie/sud/waterprotection

Edward Haythornthwaite, Uisce Éireann’s Regional Drinking Water Compliance Specialist said: “The Drinking Water Regulations set limits for pesticides in drinking water. These legal limits have not been exceeded in County Longford in the past year. This is good news, and it’s important that users of pesticides continue to follow best practices when using herbicides or pesticides, and that they consider alternative weed control methods where possible.”

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Adding to this, Dr Aidan Moody, DAFM and Chair of NPDWAG, commented: “It is important that we maintain our focus on this issue and that there is a sustained effort by stakeholders to continue the good progress that has been made in recent years. Users of pesticides must always consider the possibilities for alternative control methods in the first instance and if the application of pesticides is considered essential make sure that they follow best practice measures to protect water quality.”