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EPA Water Research Planning
Workshop
Water Challenges in Ireland – The EPA Perspective Martin McGarrigle
28 June 2013
Outline
EPA’s Role re Water
Water Pollution
Ecological Status – Trends 1987-2012
How to achieve WFD Targets for Good Status
Some thoughts on previous research
Has Water Research in Ireland helped so far? WFD goals
Cleaner water
What are the next ‘Hot’ Research Areas?
Environmental Protection Agency
EPA’s Role with respect to Water
The EPA is the Regulator Major point source Discharges
Drinking Water
Waste Management
Oversight of and Liaison with LAs
NIECE
Environmental Research
Water Quality in Ireland – Long Term Trends
77.3
71.2
66.9
69.7 69.3 71.4
68.9
72.8
12.0
16.8 18.2 17.1 17.9 18.2
20.7
17.5
9.7 11.4
14.0 12.4 12.3
9.9 10.0 9.6
0.9 0.6 0.9 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1987-'90 1991-'94 1995-'97 1998-'00 2001-'03 2004-'06 2007-'09 2010 -'12
% C
ha
nn
el
len
gth
Su
rveyed
National Long term Trends % of Surveyed 13,200km baseline channel length in four Biological Quality Classes
A: Unpolluted B: Slightly Polluted C: Moderately Polluted D: Seriously Polluted
77.3
71.2
66.9
69.7 69.3 71.4
68.9
72.8
100.0
12.0
16.8 18.2 17.1 17.9 18.2
20.7
17.5
0.0
9.7 11.4
14.0 12.4 12.3
9.9 10.0 9.6
0.0 0.9 0.6 0.9 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.1 0.0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1987-'90 1991-'94 1995-'97 1998-'00 2001-'03 2004-'06 2007-'09 2010 -'12
% C
han
nel
len
gth
Su
rveyed
National Long term Trends % of Surveyed 13,200km baseline channel length in four Biological Quality Classes
A: Unpolluted B: Slightly Polluted C: Moderately Polluted D: Seriously Polluted
The Water Quality Challenge
WFD Target -
100%
Unpolluted
2015!
2021?
2027?
In 2007-2009 we recorded 953 polluted river sites
from a total of ~2500 sites surveyed
This is approximately 30 sites per county
~Half – 15 sites per county – due to point source pollution Usually there’s a ‘simple’ answer – but may be expensive
Research on improved treatment techniques can help
~Half – 15 sites per county – due to diffuse pollution Stream walks to find pollution sources (SSRS)
+DATA: Maps, Photographs – GIS, Landcover, LPIS, Geodirectory, Census data,
Soils and bedrock layers, forestry info, StreetView.
Research can/has helped to solve some diffuse pollution problems
Tackle these river sites one by one within each county
If we succeed then the WFD target is achieved for rivers
This will benefit lakes, estuaries and groundwater also.
Water Quality: How to Achieve the 100% target?
Where Have we Come from?
Organic Pollution prevalent in 70s and 80s
Old Industry – e.g. Chemicí Teo, Sugar Factories, Meat Factories
Poor treatment of Municipal wastewaters
Interdepartmental Committee on Water Pollution 1960s
AFF set up – monitoring began 1971
Water Pollution Act
But Blood and Guts (literally) in some Rivers even in early 80s
Farm Pollution became noticeable in the 80s
Fish Kills, etc., mid to late 1980s – switch to silage making
Silage made on grass or poor quality concrete potent stuff – SF visible for many km downstream
‘Sewage Fungus’ research team
Slurry Spreading – treated as a waste material
Better containment – fish kills reduced
Baled silage largely solved silage problem But we still have some ‘hard case’ polluters!
Silage Pollution in
2011!
Where Have we Come from?
Improvements in WWTP
Efficient secondary treatment
But High Nutrient content – green blankets
Eutrophication of Lakes and Rivers
Lake Eutrophication Ennell – Mullingar – P Removal provided a ‘quick’ fix
Ross Bay Killarney – first P Removal in 70s – lot of research
L. Conn – diffuse (see later)
River Eutrophication Diurnal oxygen variation
Fish Kills due to night time anoxia
Round the clock surveys to calibrate Eutrophication Models
Research gave us a good understanding of P sources and sinks Allowed us to set realistic ecologically meaningful standards
Phosphorus Regulations SI 258/1998 and WFD EQS SI 272/2009
if these are achieved ecological status will improve
Research on Diffuse Pollution from Agriculture
Agricultural P Loss
Farm fertilisation intensified from the 1980s Arctic Charr disappeared from Lough Conn
Excessive Soil Phosphorus Levels came onto the agenda
1990 Comparison with 1979-1982 Conn survey showed big increases
in P losses Diffuse losses with P concentrations Increasing during Flood Events
Conn Committee letter requested 5mg/l Morgan’s P max soil P
Ireland out of line with other countries
LS 2 Agricultural Eutrophication Research Project ~€3.4M 50 scientists all major universities
International Phosphorus Meetings hosted and attended
COST 832 Agricultural Eutrophication
Current follow-on projects ACP, Pathways & Siltflux Projects
Agricultural P Loss
Agronomic research complemented
environmental aspect P applications of zero, 15kg/ha, 30kg/ha showed no
difference between 15 and 30 kg/ha applications in terms
of animal weight produced
At least 15 kg/ha P wasted
Hundreds of millions euro not just wasted but causing
huge environmental damage
Savings of €100/ha by revising Index 3 from a max of 10 mg/l to 8 mg/l Morgan’s P (J. Lee 1999)
Soil P Index revised downwards
P Sales dropped significantly
P Concentrations in Rivers are now dropping OSPAR measurements show big drop in P loss (as
excessive soil P levels come down?)
Routine WFD operational monitoring also showing
reductions in N&P (It could be just an economic thing?)
When P levels drop below their biological ‘saturation’
levels we will see real ecological improvements. (i.e. the
EQS in SI 272 /2009)
Research on Diffuse Pollution from Agriculture
- It has had an impact
Research has Helped to Improve Water Quality or to
understand the underlying processes
Acidification Project Burrishoole
Peat Silt clogging autosamplers
Overgrazing Highlighted
Forestry Eutrophication Projects
Nutrient losses from Brash
Steady P outflow for a number of years
Peat soils have poor P retention capacity
HYDROFOR - current
Humic UV-sensitive P loss
Sunlight releases P from humic-Fe-PO4 complexes
Reversible so not seen in ordinary water samples
Issue for Irish peatlands with worked bogs
Toxic cyanobacteria
Not as extensive as feared
Cryptosporidium is a much more serious issue
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/water/EPA%20Water%20Research
%20Leaflet%202012.pdf
Lots of Water Projects
2007-2011
Water Projects 2007-2011 Lots of Water Projects
2007-2011
Water Projects 2007-2011 Lots of Water Projects
2007-2011
Developing of Ecological Assessment Techniques –
research support for monitoring and assessment
WFD required new ecological classification techniques for lakes
especially
Establishing Reference Conditions
RivType – reference communities for rivers
Insight – palaeolimnology project to confirm reference lakes
Western Lakes projects & Lake Ecology Fellowships
Current Strive Lake Projects hydromorphology
catchment risk characterisation
Remote Sensing of chlorophyll Blooms easily detected from the air
Developing of Ecological Assessment Techniques –
research support for monitoring and assessment
Strive Marine Fellowship on Nutrient Trends
Various Groundwater Projects under way
Surface-groundwater interactions
Groundwater dependent terrestrial Ecosystems
Pathways Project – Identifying critical source areas
Siltflux – to monitor and underpin Silt Flux standards
Transitional and Coastal Ecological Assessment still needs
research
Assessing the ecological status of tidal reaches of rivers
Saltmarshes
A difficult area
‘New’ Research Areas
Hydromorphology
Assessing/ intercalibrating GEP and hydromorphological pressure
‘Rehabilitation’ of drained channels
Better understanding of siltation impacts (Siltflux)
Flood Plains and natural Flood Relief
Interaction of altered flow patterns and eutrophication
Over-abstraction – hands off flows
Landslides and bog bursts
Climate Change
Interaction with hydromorphology
Changing ecological communities
Ecosystem Services
New Old Research Areas
The reality is that we still have significant pollution problems
i.e. the 953 river sites to be fixed (~15 diffuse per county)
We know how to sort out a lot of this but..
Research can help
Identifying and fixing ‘Hot Spots’ or ‘Critical Source Areas’
Diffuse sources more difficult to track down
Control of Septic Tank effluents
Control of P loss from clear-felling forests on deep peats
Improved control of Peat Silt
N limitation v P limitation in aquatic ecosystems
IAE - control of nutrients generated by pig and poultry industry
Do large point sources ‘mask’ upstream diffuse sources?
Improve Drinking Water
Protecting High Status - where it exists
WFD requires us to hold on to High and Good Status Waters
Easier Said than Done
STRIVE 99 Project outlined Management Options
Freshwater Pearl Mussel Sub-Basin plans
Aiming to control silt and nutrients
Catchment strategies
Will they work?
Essentially we want to protect or improve these quasi-
pristine rivers and lakes aquifers and estuaries where they
exist
Other New Research Areas
Sociology also important
How to change behaviour
Disseminating research results to help improve practices
Public Participation in Water Management
How to make the connection?
Use of Social Media
Television and traditional media
Catchment Groups – e.g. Duhallow LIFE project
Urban diffuse
As WWTPs improve Diffuse urban will become more obvious
Car parks, petrol stations, misconnections, etc.
Big Data, DNA taxonomy, etc.
Finally…
Please Don’t Reinvent the wheel
Read the literature
Be aware of what has already been done
Especially in Ireland
Build on it
Good luck with your Applications
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