Our Catchment Science team is responsible for gathering and sharing information about water quality through the characterisation of waterbodies in Priority Areas for Action. This establishes the scientific evidence that enables implementing bodies to target activities which restore and protect our natural waters.
LAWPRO works with implementing bodies and stakeholders to implement appropriate mitigation measures or protection plans in Areas for Action.
Our role is to undertake scientific assessments in Priority Areas for Action across the country. These Priority Areas for Action were selected because the waterbodies in these areas were ‘At Risk’ of not meeting their water quality objectives in the EU Water Framework Directive. This targeted approach aims to restore water quality in these ‘At Risk’ waterbodies and help to ensure Ireland’s compliance with the Water Framework Directive.
Our work often involves the identification of highly complex issues across a range of areas, which can affect water quality. Referrals on the issues found are then made to the relevant bodies, depending on the issue identified.
Progress updates, case study presentations, update on referrals, progress reports from the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP), collaborative projects with others are provided to the five Regional Operational Committees and discussed at the associated Regional Water and Environmental Management Committees. This promotes collaboration amongst the respective local authorities and other stakeholders and implementing bodies.
Where potential measures are not readily available to allow solutions to be put in place by the implementing body or landowner, the Water Framework Directive three-tiered governance structures is used.
This allows these issues to be progressed to the National Technical Implementation Group for further consideration. From here, matters can be escalated to the Water Policy Advisory Committee where they can help inform revisions to national policy and legislation and ensure the evidence-based science is widely shared.
This collaborative approach relies on the continued efforts of local authorities and various other national and regional stakeholders and agencies.
LAWPRO’s catchment scientists work in areas that are listed in the River Basin Management Plan as Prioritised Areas for Action because of deteriorated water quality.
Local catchment assessment is the process we undertake in these areas to understand why water quality has deteriorated and what needs to be done to improve it.
Find out more about our step-by-step approach to carrying out local catchment assessments in catchments across Ireland.
Learn moreLAWPRO catchment scientists work in specific catchment areas called Priority Areas for Action. The EPA has identified priority catchments or ‘areas for action’ across the country where the status of the water is at risk of falling.
The process to select the Priority Areas for Action used several principles. The most important one was that water bodies should be ‘At Risk’ of not achieving good or high water quality. It means that we are working in areas where water quality improvements need to be made.
Learn moreA collaborative initiative between government and industry, called the Agricultural Sustainability, Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP), has been put in place to support the implementation of best agricultural practice at farm level in the Priority Areas for Action and to help address agricultural pressures on water quality.
When LAWPRO’s catchment scientists complete local catchment assessments in Priority Areas for Action, these are shared with ASSAP to assist with the implementation of targeted measures on agricultural lands.
ASSAP is jointly funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the dairy industry. Its advisory services are provided jointly by Teagasc and the Dairy Processing Co-ops.
Learn moreAround 500,000 households, in Ireland, own a domestic wastewater system (DWWTS) these include septic tanks and packaged systems. About 137,000 of these, also have a private well for drinking water.
Find out more information about the grants scheme for faulty septic tank systems provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Learn moreWater Quality in Ireland is continually monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Local Authorities, the Marine Institute, Waterways Ireland and many others, in order to better understand the ecological health of Ireland’s rivers, lakes, canals, groundwaters, estuaries and coastal waters.
Find out more about how we classify water quality in Ireland, along with the latest water quality data collected by the EPA.
More information
The Catchments Team comprises of Catchment Managers, Technical Leads and Catchment Scientists.
The team has a range of scientific disciplines, including environmental science, agricultural science, aquatic ecology, and
hydrogeology.
