The EPA Catchments Unit is based in Dublin, and the team is involved with catchment science, chemistry, ecology, hydromorphology, modelling, Geographic Information Systems and planning. We work with the wider EPA, all of our local authorities, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and other public bodies and Departments to ensure we have the best available data and information about our catchments.
Catherine O’Connell tells us how volunteers are helping the Irish Peatland Conservation Council restore bogs in Ireland by blocking drains […]
Read More
Source to Tap are monitoring water quality in the River Derg to gauge the impact of grants given to farmers […]
Read More
The annual Dublin Community Clean Up Day is going from strength to strength. It is a partnership that now covers […]
Read More
Conor Galvin from the OPW tells us about how Natural Water Retention Measures can deliver multiple environmental benefits for habitats, […]
Read More
The Lough Carra Catchment Association has supported the publication of ‘The Marl Crusts of Lough Cara’ by Philip Doddy. This […]
Read More
With World Wetlands Day just around the corner on Sunday 2nd February, the Map of Irish Wetlands team are asking […]
Read More
Lough Carra in County Mayo is a unique lake in the west of Ireland and indeed in Europe, due to […]
Read More
The National Federation of Group Water Schemes (NFGWS) is the representative organisation for community-owned rural water services in Ireland. They’ve […]
Read More World Wetlands Day occurs annually on February 2nd, marking the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on […]
Read More
Gretta McCarron tells us about The Water Forum, and some new faces who have just joined. The forum represents water […]
Read MoreQuite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.
This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.
The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.
The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.
The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.