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Home News NFGWS: Drinking Water Source Protection Framework, a Mitigation Actions for Farming handbook and a new public water refill station

NFGWS: Drinking Water Source Protection Framework, a Mitigation Actions for Farming handbook and a new public water refill station

The National Federation of Group Water Schemes (NFGWS) is the organisation for community-owned Rural Water Supplies in Ireland. The NFGWS is a Co-operative with over 400 affiliate Group Water Scheme members. They have recently published A Framework for Drinking Water Source Protection and A Handbook of Source Protection Mitigation Actions for Farming.

A Framework for Drinking Water Source Protection

As part of the NFGWS source protection pilot project, an NFGWS guidance document has been produced titled A Framework for Drinking Water Source Protection.

This Framework provides a methodological approach to evaluating pressures on water quality within a drinking water catchment/of contribution, so that an informed decision can be made as to whether ‘protection’ or ‘improvement’ will be required. Furthermore, it explains the importance of prioritising contamination risks so that a targeted approach may be adopted. To view this document, click here or on the image below.

NFGWS: A Framework For Drinking Water Source Protection

A Handbook of Source Protection and Mitigation Actions for Farming

Where water quality requires improvement, source protection measures, including mitigation, will be necessary. In an effort to help group water schemes decide upon which mitigation measures would be most appropriate, the NFGWS is in the process of developing a series of mitigation option handbooks.

Pressures can derive from urban and rural sources and are not limited to agricultural activities. However, given the predominantly rural setting of group water schemes and their location within agricultural catchments, the preparation of mitigation guidance for the farming community has been prioritised with publication of A Handbook of Source Protection and Mitigation Actions for Farming. To view this document, click here or on the image below.

NFGWS: A Handbook of Source Protection and Mitigation Actions for Farming

Mid-Roscommon Group Water Scheme launch Tulsk water bottle refill station

This is a great initiative which will help reduce plastic waste.

Congratulations to Mid-Roscomman GWS on this initiative. @DeptHousingIRL @BrianMacDomhnai https://t.co/pWu9WABEK0
— NFGWS (@nfgws) November 17, 2020

Learn more:

National Federation of Group Water Schemes Website

About author

EPA Catchments Unit

Administrator

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.

Who is involved?
Quite 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.

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.

Environmental Protection Agency

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.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

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.