Excess pesticides detected in South Leitrim water supply

Uisce Éireann is urging the public to consider alternatives to pesticides to protect the Shannon River.

The call comes following the detection of excess levels of the pesticide MCPA - an active substance used to control the growth of rushes and docks - in the South Leitrim public drinking water supply in Mohill.

Uisce Éireann is asking users of any herbicide or pesticide products to consider the vulnerability of this water supply to pesticide contamination and its importance to local homes and businesses in the community.

They are particularly appealing to the farming community, green keepers and grounds keepers, as well as domestic users, to consider whether pesticides need to be used at all.

Thomas Gibbons of Uisce Éireann said, "In Co Leitrim, an exceedance of the drinking water regulations for MCPA was noted in the South Leitrim (Mohill) public drinking water supply following routine sampling.

"While our consultation with the HSE has concluded that the levels seen do not represent a threat to public health, it is however undesirable and therefore imperative that users of pesticides are mindful of best practice when using herbicides or pesticides and seek out alternatives."

According to Uisce Éireann, pesticides should only be used where strictly necessary and only after the use of other control methods has been considered.

The Chair of the National Pesticides and Drinking Water Action Group (NPDWAG), Dr Aidan Moody, said, "The active engagement of all stakeholders, working in partnership, is needed to tackle this issue. Users of pesticides must always consider alternatives in the first instance and if pesticide use is considered essential make sure that they follow best practice measures to protect water quality."

Minimising pesticide use not only helps to protect water quality but also has multiple wider environmental benefits, such as the growth of native flowering plant species which support a range of insects including bees and other vital pollinators.

Farmers and other landholders dealing with the challenge of tackling rushes should note the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) guidance on the sustainable management of rushes, which is based on the concepts of containment or suppression.

Where pesticide use is considered necessary, people are advised to contact a local farm advisor.

The basic steps to reduce risks to drinking water sources and the aquatic environment includes always seeking advice from a local pesticide advisor, choosing the right product (products containing MCPA are no approved for use in weed-wipers and are not permitted to be used from the end of September until the beginning of March), reading and following the product label, not using pesticides if rain is forecast in the next 48 hours, and being aware of the location of all nearby water courses.

Other guidance includes complying with any buffer zone specified on the product label and marking it, avoiding spills, staying back from open drains, rinsing empty containers three times into the sprayer, storing and disposing of pesticides and other containers properly, never filling a sprayer directly from a water course, or carrying ou handling operations beside a water course.