- The public is urged to continue to consider the environment and alternatives to pesticides when gardening, farming and maintaining sports grounds
Exceedances for the pesticides MCPA and Triclopyr were detected in public drinking water supplies in Glanmire and Youghal in 2021. These exceedances were detected as part of Irish Water’s public water supply monitoring programme. MCPA is still the most frequently detected pesticide in drinking water sources and is present in many herbicide products commonly used to control thistles, docks and bulrushes.
There has been a significant reduction in the number of pesticide exceedances in public drinking water supplies in Cork in the past year, according to Irish Water. In 2020, the utility detected 6 exceedances in samples taken from 4 supplies (Bantry/Cahernacrin (exceed MCPA), Glanmire (exceed MCPA, 2,4-D, Fluroxypyr and Mecoprop), Glashaboy (exceed MCPA) , Glengarriff (Triclopyr overtake) as part of its ongoing monitoring, however, this number had been reduced to two (Glanmire – Triclopyr & Youghal – MCPA) by 2021.
Glanmire Water Supply draws raw water from Coolquesk Bridge, Kilquana Bridge, Butlerstown and the Butlerstown River Tributary, which forms part of the Butlerstown River Catchment; Youghal’s water supply draws raw water from the Glendine River. Irish Water asks users of any herbicide or pesticide to continue to consider the vulnerability of their local drinking water supplies to pesticide contamination and the importance of these supplies to homes and businesses in the community.
Irish Water, working in partnership with a range of organizations involved in the NPDWAG, is asking the farming community, green space custodians, groundskeepers, as well as domestic users of pesticides, to consider in each case s they need to use pesticides. Minimizing the use of pesticides not only helps protect water quality, but also has wider environmental benefits. For example, leaving areas unsprayed can help native flowering plant species thrive and support a range of insects, including bees and other vital pollinators. A third of Ireland’s bee species are threatened with extinction and by helping the bee population to survive and thrive, we are also helping to protect our precious water sources. For more information on practical ways to help bees and other pollinators, see the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan at www.pollinators.ie. Farmers should also bear in mind that the application of herbicides reduces plant species diversity and could have a negative impact on payments under future agri-environment schemes.
When the use of pesticides is deemed necessary, the NPDWAG works with local communities to ensure that best practices to protect drinking water sources and biodiversity are always followed. Farmers and other landowners facing the rush challenge should take note of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) guidelines on sustainable rush management. This approach is based on the concepts of containment or suppression, and aims to minimize the use of pesticides. More information on this can be obtained from your local agricultural adviser or at www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie/sud/waterprotection
The NPDWAG is chaired by DAFM and involves key stakeholders from a range of government departments and agencies, local authorities, industry representative bodies, agricultural organizations, water and equipment sector organisations.
Deirdre O’ Loughlin, Irish Water’s Regional Drinking Water Compliance Specialist, said: “In Co Cork, exceedances of drinking water regulations for MCPA and triclopyr have been seen in public supplies. in Glanmire and Youghal water after routine sampling. Although our consultation with the HSE concluded that the levels we detect do not pose a threat to public health, they are however still undesirable in drinking water and it is therefore imperative that pesticide users are aware of best practice when using herbicides or pesticides. and look for alternatives.
Adding to this, Dr Aidan Moody, DAFM and Chairman of NPDWAG, said, “We need the continued commitment of all stakeholders, working in partnership, to make further progress. Pesticide users should always consider alternatives first and if pesticide application is considered essential, ensure they are following best practices to protect water quality.
If pesticides are to be used, basic measures to reduce risks to drinking water sources and the aquatic environment include:
- Choose the right pesticide product (note that products containing MCPA are NOT approved for use in weedkillers and cannot be used from late September to early March)
- Read and follow the product label
- Determine the right amount to buy and use
- Do not use pesticides if rain is expected within the next 48 hours
- Make sure you know the location of all nearby waterways
- Comply with any buffer zone specified on the product label to protect the aquatic environment. Delimit the specified buffer zone from the edge of the river or lake or other watercourse and drainage ditches
- Avoid spills, stay away from open sewers and rinse empty containers 3 times in the sprayer.
- Properly store and dispose of pesticides and their containers.
- Never fill a sprayer directly from a watercourse or carry out mixing, loading or other handling operations at the edge of a watercourse
Additional tips:
Remarks
The term “pesticides” includes a wide range of synthetic chemicals used to control unwanted pests (usually weeds and insects). The term pesticides includes herbicides used to prevent, destroy or control the growth of plants. While the number of public water supply systems with high levels of pesticides above the permitted standard is very low in Ireland, there is growing evidence of the presence of pesticides in water sources. due to runoff of weed control products on hard surfaces, gardening, agriculture or forestry. Detection of an individual pesticide at levels above the allowable value tells us that there may have been negligent or excessive use of a product in the drinking water abstraction.
The highest incidences of pesticide exceedances found in Ireland’s drinking water are MCPA, an active ingredient present in many herbicide products commonly used to control thistle, bilge and bulrush.
What risk does this pose and what is the response?
The levels of pesticides that we detect through our monitoring programs do not pose a health risk. For example, the allowable limit for MCPA in drinking water is 7,000 times lower than what the World Health Organization considers a health-based lifetime limit.
Irish Water strongly believes that the key to reducing levels of pesticides in drinking water is to first prevent them from entering the aquatic environment and educate the general public about the correct and safe use of pesticides. A national group called the National Pesticides and Drinking Water Action Group (NPDWAG) was trained to act against pesticides and to design and carry out various awareness and education campaigns. This group has members from many state agencies and organizations, including the EPA, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Teagasc, local authorities and Irish Water.
Details of key stakeholders represented on the National Pesticides and Drinking Water Action Group (NPDWAG) include:
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH)
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Sea (DAFM)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Director of Health Services (HSE)
City and County Managers Association (CCMA)
Irish Water (IW)
Local Authority Water Program (LAWPRO)
Teagasc
Irish Farmers Association (IFA)
Association for Animal and Plant Health (APHA)
Irish Creamers and Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA)
Federation of Agrochemical Retail Traders (FARM)
Golf Ireland
Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland (GCSAI)
National Federation of Community Water Supply Systems (NFGWS)
Association of Agricultural Consultants (ACA)
Sustainable Agriculture Support and Advice Program (ASSAP)
In the event of individual pesticide exceedances, Irish Water engages with the relevant statutory authorities responsible for protecting the catchment in that area (e.g. environmental sections of local authorities, catchment units of the EPA) to investigate the possible cause of the contamination and take the necessary corrective action.
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