According to Irish Water Ltd. - a water supply company in Ireland, whose task is to provide “safe, clean and affordable water supply and sanitation services” for water users, in certain areas of the country an excess of the permissible level of pesticides in water sources is recorded.
In Donegal, a county in the north of Ireland, the number of pesticides found in the Esk River doubled the level recorded in 2018. Water samples from eight locations in the county revealed the presence of the herbicide MCPA and other pesticides, such as cypermethrin, glyphosate and fluroxypyr, although in small quantities.
Andy Boylan, a regional drinking water compliance specialist, said that “in Ireland, most (82%) of drinking water comes from surface water sources (water from rivers, lakes and streams). Such stocks are vulnerable to pollution from land and animal runoff. ”
Irish Water has called on farmers and other users of pesticides to ensure compliance with best practices for protecting the quality of drinking water. Pesticide users have been advised that they should make sure that they are aware of the effective measures that should be taken to protect water quality.
Ireland has very strict rules for water protection, according to which one drop of pesticide is enough to violate the established level of purity of drinking water in a small stream for 30 kilometers.
