Public invited to Mayo meetings on improving local water quality
The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) will hold two community information meetings in Mayo next month to raise public awareness of the ongoing work to improve water quality across the county.
The first meeting will be held on Thursday, November 13, at the Áras Inis Gluaire in Belmullet between 7.00pm and 8.00pm.
The second will be on Thursday, November 27, at the Westport Library between 7.00pm and 8.00pm.
LAWPRO works on behalf of Ireland’s 31 local authorities to protect and restore good water quality in rivers, lakes, estuaries, groundwater and coastal waters.
It is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the programme was established under the EU Water Framework Directive.
LAWPRO coordinates local and national efforts through Ireland’s River Basin Management Plan.
Over the past two years, LAWPRO has been active in Mayo and the wider region as part of Ireland’s second-cycle River Basin Management Plan, which was implemented between 2018 and 2021.
Building on lessons from the first plan, which was implemented from 2009 to 2015, the second phase focused on creating stronger structures for long-term water quality improvements and bringing together policymakers, technical experts, local authorities, community groups, and industry representatives to help tackle the issue.
Key actions during this period included major wastewater treatment upgrades, with Uisce Éireann investing €1.7 billion between 2017 and 2021 in more than 250 projects nationwide. Uisce Éireann also implemented measures to make water use more sustainable and efficient.
A new Sustainability and Advisory Support Programme was introduced through a partnership between the State and the dairy industry, promoting best farming practices in 190 targeted areas and supporting up to 5,000 farmers. A Community Water Development Fund was also launched to assist local community-led water initiatives.
At next month’s meetings, LAWPRO experts will update the public on the progress made in Mayo during the second cycle and provide updates on the third-cycle River Basin Management Plan, which is being carried out from 2022 to 2027.
The meeting will also provide an opportunity to speak with representatives from the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) and the LAWPRO Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project.
ASSAP works with farmers in a free and confidential advisory service to help improve water quality. It is a collaborative initiative between Teagasc and Dairy Industry Ireland, the programme provides on-farm assessments and advice in areas where LAWPRO scientists have identified agricultural pressures.
In 2023, LAWPRO, working in partnership with Teagasc and Dairy Industry Ireland, secured funding for a Farming for Water EIP project, a locally led, collaborative initiative that focuses on innovative approaches to protecting water in areas where quality targets are not being met.
The upcoming meetings aim to provide local communities with an opportunity to learn more about ongoing projects in their rivers and catchments, and to encourage greater public involvement in protecting and improving water quality throughout Mayo.
This article has been funded Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.