Laois water supplies pesticide free in 2022

Public water supplies were free from pesticide pollution in Laois last year. 

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

The clean bill of health was welcomed by Green Party Minister, Pippa Hackett.

“Water quality impacts on us from birth to old age and, together with the quality of the air we breathe and the soil we grow our food in, water is one of our most precious resources.  There is an onus, and in many cases a legal responsibility, on all of us to protect it.

While I am delighted to welcome the news that there were zero pesticide exceedances in Co Laois public drinking water in 2022, we must not take this for granted or become casual about it. If as a farmer or grounds keeper you feel that the use of pesticides is necessary I implore you to read and follow the instructions for their use and most importantly to ensure there is no risk to nearby watercourses," she said. 

“If as a home owner you use pesticides and other toxic chemicals in your garden please ask yourself if they are really necessary: There are so many options to work with nature, and perhaps we all need to let go of our perception of what is ‘tidy’ in our gardens.  A wonderful starting point is the book by Juanita Brown ‘Gardening for Biodiversity’ available free to download from Laois County Council,” Minister Hackett said.

Uisce Éireann 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. 

The chemical 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 Laois 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. 

Uisce Éireann and the NPDWAG(National Pesticides and Drinking Water Action Group) 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

Uisce Éireann’s Regional Drinking Water Compliance Specialist, Edward Haythornthwaite,  said: “The Drinking Water Regulations set limits for pesticides in drinking water. These legal limits have not been exceeded in County Laois 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.”

Adding to this, Chair of NPDWAG, Dr Aidan Moody said: “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.”

Laois Gardai to hand out bike theft prevention advice

If pesticides have to be used, the NPDWAG advises the following basic steps to reduce risks to drinking water sources and the aquatic environment are:

Choose the right pesticide product (products containing MCPA are not approved for use in weed-wipers and are not permitted to be used from the end of September until the beginning of March).

Read and follow the product label.

Do not use pesticides if rain is forecast in the next 48 hours.

Make sure you are aware of the location of all nearby water courses. 

Comply with any buffer zone specified on the product label to protect the aquatic environment. Mark out the specified buffer zone from the edge of the river or lake or other watercourse and drainage ditches.

Avoid spills, stay well back from open drains and rinse empty containers three times into the sprayer.

Store and dispose of pesticides and their containers properly. 

Never fill a sprayer directly from a water course or carry out mixing, loading or other handling operations beside a watercourse.