Month: October 2021

Natura 2000 data – the European network of protected sites

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Natura 2000 is the key instrument to protect biodiversity in the European Union. It is an ecological network of protected areas, set up to ensure the survival of Europe’s most valuable species and habitats. Natura 2000 is based on the 1979 Birds Directive and the 1992 Habitats Directive. This version covers the reporting in 2020.

Natura 2000 is an ecological network composed of sites designated under the Birds Directive (Special Protection Areas or SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (Sites of Community Importance or SCIs, and Special Areas of Conservation or SACs).

The European database of Natura 2000 sites consists of a compilation of the data submitted by the Member States of the European Union. This European database is generally updated once a year to take into account any updating of national databases by Member States. However, the release of a new EU-wide database does not necessarily mean that a particular national dataset has recently been updated.

The descriptive data in the European database are based on the information that national authorities have submitted, for each of the Natura 2000 sites, through a site-specific standard data form (SDF). In addition to other site-specific information, the standard data form provides the list of all species and habitat types for which a site is officially designated.

The spatial data (outlining the boundaries of sites) submitted by each Member State are validated by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/natura-12

Census of Agriculture

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The Census of Agriculture is a detailed snapshot of agricultural activity in the Republic of Ireland. A Census questionnaire will be sent to every agricultural holding in the State where the area used for farming is at least one hectare.

In addition, farms with less than one hectare will also be included in the Census if they are engaged in intensive production e.g. of pigs or poultry.

The preliminary results of the 2020 Census are due in Dec 2021, with a complete publication down to electoral level data in early 2022

Here is the current data (2010):

Bathing water quality – review of EU rules

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About this consultation

Consultation period

28 October 2021 – 20 January 2022 (midnight Brussels time)

Target audience

All citizens and stakeholders are welcome to express their views – more specifically respondents involved in or affected by the implementation of the bathing water directive: identification of bathing sites and/or monitoring and management of bathing sites and bathing water quality. This would include: EU Member States and their public authorities at national, regional and local level; economic actors such as associations and companies (tourism sector representatives, bathing site operators); water associations at European, national and regional level; international organisations, NGOs, academia, research and innovation organisations and institutes.

Why we are consulting

Since the 1970s, the EU has rules in place to safeguard clean bathing waters. These rules were updated and simplified through the 2006 Bathing Water Directive which, according to the annual reports on the quality of the bathing water, is generally well implemented by Member States. Nevertheless, experience from best practices in some Member States, as well as latest scientific and technological developments point to some areas for possible improvement. Also in light of the European Green Deal, the Directive needs to align with new environmental and climate ambitions. With this consultation, we would like to hear your opinions on the Directive, notably concerning possible shortcomings and issues of emerging concerns both for citizens, health and the environment. Your views will feed into the evaluation and impact assessment that will constitute the evidence base for a possible revision of the Directive.

Responding to the questionnaire

You can contribute to this consultation by filling in the online questionnaire. If you are unable to use the online questionnaire, please contact us using the email address below.

Questionnaires are available in some or all official EU languages. You can submit your responses in any official EU language.

For reasons of transparency, organisations and businesses taking part in public consultations are asked to register in the EU’s Transparency Register.

Respond to the questionnaire

https://ecas.ec.europa.eu/cas/login?loginRequestId=ECAS_LR-11277527-1UPPVvgNu7QVdp19yEYuLC7t2DzpnO1jzZolPWnIqTkxWryzI4SKvEZ6OONM9irzU355o1WzGT4lWbTzRO0PmMzm-jpJZscgsw0KrzX3rzQPoiSG-UuTb4Lg2dFwLozzzfImzL2SvNOeknRMbeYlPpv8DMUqOgx1kyUhzVzpsV7O6bF3zLBrO6URrFoXqzZ75naWguVpc

Cryptosporidium and Giardia detections

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Cryptosporidium and Giardia are parasites that are found in human or animal waste and, if they are present in drinking water, can cause persistent diarrhoea.

The Drinking Water Regulations do not explicitly require Cryptosporidium or Giardia monitoring to be carried out; but because of the risk to health from these parasites, the EPA has requested Irish Water to test for them.


Irish Water is required to assess all water supply sources across the country and determine if there is a risk that the raw water could have Cryptosporidium or Giardia present. If either parasite might be present in a supply, then appropriate treatment processes (referred to as a ‘barrier’) must be put in place.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia may be detected in treated water where:

• There is no treatment barrier in place at the water treatment plant;


• The treatment barrier is not being properly operated, controlled or maintained.

When Cryptosporidium or Giardia detections are reported, the EPA ensures that Irish Water carries out investigations into the cause; takes corrective action; and consults with the Health Service Executive regarding the risk to public health. If the Health Service Executive is concerned that using the water might endanger people’s health, Irish Water will issue a boil water notice for the supply.


The EPA may also carry out audits of treatment plants to see if further action is necessary. If the EPA is concerned about a supply not having a treatment barrier or a treatment barrier not performing adequately, it will add that supply to the EPA Remedial Action List. Once a supply is added to the Remedial Action List, Irish Water must provide the EPA with an action plan and prioritise that supply for improvement.

Note: Clonmel Poulavanogue supply has been on the Remedial Action List since 2008

Click to access Audit-Report-Clonmel-Poulavanogue-02.09.19.pdf

Note: There are supplies where treatment barriers are not being operated, controlled or maintained adequately. For example, operational issues at Leixlip Water Treatment plant meant that the treatment barrier for Cryptosporidium was compromised and this led to two boil notices on the supply in 2019.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/water-warning-how-big-a-risk-does-the-treatment-failure-pose-to-human-health-1.4073271

National Disinfection Strategy and Programme

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In 2016, Irish Water prepared a National Disinfection Strategy to address deficiencies in the disinfection of public water supplies.

The Strategy outlines the standard specifications for disinfection systems that should be in place in all sites, that is, at water treatment plants or other locations such as chlorine booster stations.

The Strategy was accompanied by a National Disinfection Programme.

The Programme is split over two phases:

• Phase 1 – Site Assessment: Irish Water assesses the condition and performance of the existing disinfection systems at sites across the country. This determines the improvements needed, such as chemical storage and dosing; UV disinfection systems; and monitoring and alarm systems to ensure that the site disinfection process meets the requirements.


• Phase 2 – Site Upgrade Works: Irish Water carries out the works identified in Phase 1

Irish Water are investing €65 million to upgrade and standardise disinfection systems. The programme involves over 864 water treatment plants, pumping stations, and reservoirs. They already upgraded over 257 sites

https://www.water.ie/projects/national-projects/national-disinfection-programme/

Explore the works taking place in your county

Carlow

Cavan

Clare

Cork

Donegal

Dublin (Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown)

Kerry

Kildare

Kilkenny

Leitrim

Limerick

Longford

Mayo

Meath

Offaly

Sligo

Tipperary

Waterford

Westmeath

Wexford

Wicklow

EPA Audits of Irish Water

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During an audit, the EPA inspector may look at some or all aspects of a supply including protection of the water source; treatment capacity; treatment process; storage; and distribution network.

The EPA issues audit reports to Irish Water following each audit, setting out its recommendations, and then publishes the reports on the EPA website.

A failure to address audit recommendations means that plants will ultimately fail to operate properly or effectively and may require a boil water notice or water restriction to be imposed.

Audit recommendations must be addressed in a timely manner before a serious failure at a plant results in consumers having to boil their water or restrict their use.


They are a mixture of scheduled (planned) audits, campaign audits and reactive audits.

The EPA also carry out audits of Irish Water’s monitoring programmes.

Scheduled audits are mainly used to check that remedial actions have been carried out, or as spot checks on supplies that have not had any water quality failures.

A campaign audit is where an audit is carried out for a particular reason. eg to check for progress on works being carried out at supplies on the EPA’s Remedial Action List.

Reactive audits are carried out to follow up on water quality failures or incidents notified to the EPA.

In cases where a boil water notice or water restriction is in place, the EPA may invite the Health Service Executive to attend a reactive audit to see why the treatment process or infrastructure failed to operate and what technical recommendations are to be met in order to ensure Irish Water can return a safe and secure supply of drinking water to the affected consumers.

Audit Reports Search by County

€1.3bn Eastern and Midlands Water Supply Project

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One of the single largest infrastructure projects ever to be undertaken in Ireland

After confirming the need for the project, Irish Water embarked on a four stage process to identify a suitable new source of water supply.

Extensive studies and research have been undertaken to identify and assess all possible supply options to meet the future water supply requirements of the Eastern and Midlands Region. In total ten options were identified and examined in detail.

These ten options were thoroughly assessed on a demographic, technical, geographic, environmental and economic basis, and four options were identified as suitable for further assessment, three of which were based on River Shannon/Lough Derg with the fourth being desalination.

Following further research and public consultation these four were reduced to two – Abstraction of water from Parteen Basin on the lower River Shannon, with water treatment nearby or desalination from the Irish Sea.

After further research and public consultation, the Parteen Basin option was identified as the preferred scheme because via its pipeline route to Dublin it delivers the widest benefit to the greatest number of people with the least environmental impact and in the most cost efficient manner.

Desalination would largely serve Dublin only and would not address the objectives of Irish Water’s 25-year plan to provide a high quality, long-term and sustainable supply to the Eastern and Midlands Region.

The scheme, known officially as the Eastern and Midland Water Supply Project, would involve abstracting 330Ml of water daily from the Shannon.

The project will cost €1.3bn to construct and will consist of the design and construction of a new abstraction source, a new 300Ml/d water treatment works, reservoirs and 170km of pipelines from Co. Tipperary to Dublin.

Irish Water is continuing to progress the preparation of a SID planning application to An Bord Pleanála for the WSP, including an Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Natura Impact Statement following the enactment of new Abstraction legislation.

http://www.watersupplyproject.ie/publications/

Click to access Consultation-Submissions-Report_April-2018.pdf

Click to access WSP-Project-Road-Map_A01.pdf

https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/midland-tribune/683411/50-farmers-refuse-access-to-shannon-dublin-mega-pipe.html