Latest news with #WaterActionPlan
Irish Independent
15-07-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Water quality of Wexford's rivers discussed at special meeting – ‘We can do a lot better'
Representatives from the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) provided an update on the work they are carrying out under the Water Action Plan which is part of the EU Water Framework Directive. There was also information on new farming initiatives, including the €60 million Farming for WaterEIP, Tiran's Slaney Farming for Water and the Teagasc Better Farming for Water initiative. Chaired by Frank Burke, Climate Action Coordinator with WCC, the meeting featured a presentation from Eoin Kinsella, executive scientist with WCC, who outlined the work being carried out by his team, from agricultural inspections to managing litter on the blue flag beaches. Discussing the Bann catchment area, Dr Fran Igoe of LAWPRO said: 'The glass is only half full when it comes to water quality in Wexford and we can do a lot better. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that the River Bann is a significant contributor of nitrates to the Slaney, and that combined with the other tributaries amounts to high nitrate loading to the Slaney. "This needs to be addressed as EPA monitoring shows there is an excessive nitrate impact on the estuary and Wexford Harbour. Clean water is important for Wexford's tourism, shellfish production and maintaining the health of the River Slaney generally. Most of the River Bann is also important for salmon and trout spawning and the water quality needs improvement.' Tirlán chairperson John Murphy spoke about its commitment as a dairy processor to improving water quality in the area with their Slaney Farming for Water Project, which aims to encourage farmers to install measures funded through the Farming for WaterEIP and Tiran's own suitability programme. Cathy Lee of the Friends of the Ahare River Biodiversity and Development Group, provided examples of the activities the group have carried out in the area, including biodiversity signage along the river, school visits to the river and family fun days at the Cloon beach. Ross Finlay project officer with the Slaney Rivers Trust spoke about its objective to improve salmon stocks in the Slaney and plans for further community engagement. The Slaney Rivers Trust is working with Inland Fisheries Ireland on the new barrier removal programme.
Irish Independent
10-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Public invited to share their views on Wexford's water quality at community information meetings
The first of these will be held in Clonroche Community Hall on June 17 at 7 p.m. with the second in Craanford Community Hall on June 26 at 7 p.m. The community information meetings are being held to to encourage as much engagement as possible with all stakeholders right across the community, including key agencies, special interest groups, voluntary, public and private sectors. Along with LAWPRO and Wexford County Council's Climate Action and Environment Section other key agencies involved in protecting and restoring the quality of our natural waters are being invited to participate so there will be opportunities for the public to ask questions and talk to members from these agencies. LAWPRO working on behalf of Ireland's 31 local authorities to protect and restore good water quality in rivers, lakes, estuaries, ground and coastal water, under the River Basin Management Plan for Ireland carries out work in areas identified as having poor water quality called Priority Areas for Action (PAA) to support targeted water quality improvements with other stakeholders. Ahead of the public meeting, Anthony Coleman, Director of Services with LAWPRO said, 'As we continue our work in the Slaney catchment area and begin implementation of the new Water Action Plan we would like to take this opportunity to welcome members of the public to come along and find out more about what's happening in their local waterbodies and river catchments. 'We hope to engage as many people as possible at this meeting in Wexford because public participation and support is key to achieving water quality improvements. We would also like to thank all those whether in a voluntary or paid capacity, working in their local areas to help make a difference to their natural waters and the biodiversity that live in and around them.' Commenting on the upcoming meetings, Eamonn Hore, Director of Services with Wexford County Council said, "Clean and healthy water is vital for our environment, our communities, and our future. These public meetings are a great opportunity for people to learn more about the collaborative work underway to protect and restore water quality across Wexford. We encourage everyone; residents, farmers, business owners, and community groups to attend and have their voices heard.'
Irish Independent
01-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Community information meeting on Wicklow water quality announced
Under the Water Action Plan 2024 – A River Basin Management Plan for Ireland, LAWPRO carries out work in areas identified as having poor water quality called priority areas for action (PAAs) to support targeted water quality improvements by state bodies and local authorities. Since 2018 LAWPRO has been working in PAAs in Wicklow and the information evening will involve discussions on the work commencing first in Kilcoole, Newcastle and Newtowmountkennedy PAA this summer. Ahead of the community information meeting, Basil Mannion, senior community water officer with LAWPRO said: 'As we are coming to the end of second cycle work and expanding our third cycle plans for further work in the area under the Water Action Plan, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome members of the public to come along and find out more about what's happening in their local waterbodies. 'We hope to engage as many people as possible at the two meetings as public participation is key to helping make water quality improvements. We would also like to thank all those whether in a voluntary or paid capacity who work in their local areas and help to make a difference to their natural waters and the biodiversity that lives in and around them.' The information meeting takes place at the Parkview Hotel, Newtownmountkennedy, from 7.30pm on Thursday, May 6. The meeting is being held to increase awareness about water quality work in the area and to encourage as much engagement as possible with all stakeholders right across the community including key agencies, special interest groups, voluntary, public and private sectors. LAWPRO catchment scientists will take you through the work that has been carried out and what is being planned under the third cycle Water Action Plan 2024. There will also be opportunities for the public to ask questions and talk to members of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) programme and the Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
OPINION: OPINION: New Mexico needs a strategic water supply for development of non-traditional water
Feb. 24—A 2014 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office gave a wake-up call to U.S. water planners, highlighting that 45 states, including New Mexico, were on a trajectory to experience regional and state-wide fresh water supply shortages by 2024. In response, many states initiated improved water supply planning. For the past few years, New Mexico has worked with water management agencies, academia, communities, and the public to study our water resources and future supply challenges. The results are sobering: New Mexico can expect a 25%-30% reduction in fresh water availability by 2070. This requires a major shift in water planning and infrastructure development, with more reliance on using nontraditional waters, such as municipal and industrial wastewater, and brackish and produced water. The Environmental Protection Agency recognized that the development and use of nontraditional waters is important and in 2020, established a National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) to assist states in conducting the research to demonstrate safe, fit-for-purpose treatment and reuse of five major waste waters: industrial, municipal, agricultural, produced water, and storm water. New Mexico's 50-year Water Action Plan, developed in 2023, acknowledges that New Mexico has significant brackish groundwater and produced water resources that can be treated and used for designated uses to reduce future water shortfalls. The proposed Strategic Water Supply initiative is one of several important efforts identified in the 50-year water plan and focuses on creating funding to purchase treated brackish and produced water, encouraging construction of treatment plants, and providing water for new economic development initiatives. Two bills proposed in the NM Legislature will provide funding to establish and develop the Strategic Water Supply (House Bill 137 and Senate Bill 342). In a February 10, 2025, Albuquerque Journal op-ed, Mariel Nanasi claimed that "the science needed to ensure safe reuse of produced water simply does not exist," that "current treatment technologies struggle to address the vast array of contaminants, let alone the new toxic byproducts that can form during treatment processes," and that "we lack the scientific knowledge to ensure its safety." However, those claims are not true. Produced water has been treated, permitted, and safely discharged to the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania since 2014. In California, brackish water and produced water have been treated and blended with surface water for over 25 years and permitted for agricultural irrigation in California's Central Valley. Wyoming permitted a produced water facility to treat and discharge coal bed methane-produced water for almost 10 years. Since 2020, New Mexico State University has supported the EPA's research efforts on the health, safety, and environment toxicology of using treated produced water. NMSU's research has been done in cooperation with industry, academia, and state and federal agencies, and has included evaluation of over a dozen produced water treatment technologies. This includes sampling and state-of-the-art analysis of treated produced water for over 400 targeted chemical compounds and non-target analysis for thousands of potential trace chemicals along with risk and toxicology analysis on aquatic species, human cell lines, and vertebrate species. The data and results have been peer-reviewed and are publicly available. Conclusions from full-scale produced water treatment plants and large-scale treatment demonstrations are clear and overwhelming: Produced and brackish water can be treated and safely put to beneficial use with no adverse impact on the public or environmental health and safety. Creating and funding the Strategic Water Supply is an innovative approach to new water resource development through public/private funding. It should be supported by all New Mexicans, offering a bold vision of 'water stewardship,' supporting long-term economic growth and future water supply sustainability. John D'Antonio is president of the New Mexico Desalination Association, and Mike Hightower is an association board member.
