Watchdog warns of 'very worrying picture' after review into implementation of laws to protect water quality in NI
A new report has been published by the Office for Environmental Protection
Last updated 3rd Sep 2024
The environmental watchdog is warning a critical plan to help improve water quality across Northern Ireland's rivers, lakes and coastal waters needs to be strengthened and put into place without further delay
A new report by the Office for Environmental Protection has also assessed that a DAERA target, to bring 70% of water bodies to "good status" by 2027, is “likely to be missed by a considerable margin”.
The OEP carried out a review of key water quality legislation and its implementation and is subsequently warning of a “very worrying picture”.
The Water Framework Directive Northern Ireland regulations require DAERA to develop and roll out a River Basin Management Plan every six years.
The management plan was due by December 2021, but the draft plan has yet to be finalised to help drive water quality improvement.
Natalie Prosser, OEP Chief Executive Officer, said. "Our report finds that although the approach of the WFD NI regulations is broadly sound, it is not being implemented or delivering as it should for Northern Ireland's lakes, rivers and coastal waters. This paints a very worrying picture."
“Unfortunately, we don’t have far to go to see the serious consequences when water quality is neglected, as the ongoing crisis at Lough Neagh shows.”
“Our report identifies the urgent need for DAERA to publish the latest River Basement Management Plan and put it into action. These plans are important because they set out the objectives and measures needed to protect and improve waters in Northern Ireland.”
The OEP’s report also recommends that the draft River Basement Management Plan should be strengthened.
It says according to the latest data some things are getting “worse rather than better”, with just 31% of surface water bodies in Northern Ireland in a good ecological condition.
This is a fall of 1% from the corresponding figure of 32% in 2015.
DAERA has set a working target to bring 70% of water bodies to ‘good status’ by 2027. However the OEP has warned that the failure to implement the Water Framework Directive NI Regulations effectively means this target and others are now unlikely to be met.
Ms Prosser said, “As things stand, we assess that the 2027 target is likely to be missed by a considerable margin. We also assess that Northern Ireland is not on track to meet the Environmental Objectives in the WFD NI Regulations.”
“This failure to meet the 2027 target will then have a detrimental knock-on effect on the Northern Ireland Executive’s other environmental aims, such as the ‘excellent water quality’ goal in the draft Environment Strategy and ‘thriving, resilient and connected nature and wildlife’ goal.”
She added, “There needs to be stronger leadership from the Northern Ireland Executive in implementing the WFD NI Regulations. It must speed up and scale up its efforts to protect and improve its waters.”
The OEP has made 6 recommendations to the Northern Ireland Executive, Northern Ireland Assembly and DAERA, designed to increase the prospects of protecting and improving the water environment.
These include recommendations in relation to DAERA’s 2027 objectives, and to strengthen the legislative framework and its governance and application in the longer term.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs Minister, Andrew Muir, said, “I welcome the publication of this report and thank the OEP for its work on this review. I take its findings extremely seriously.”
“We know that, in the past, we have not got the balance right when it comes to policy to protect water quality and we recognise that there is much more work to do.”
“Lough Neagh has been a wake-up call for water quality issues and this report is a timely reminder of the work required, not only across government, but the public and private sectors, including local government, and the wider community.”
“I am committed to taking action and meeting the challenge together with others. I will consider the recommendations in the report and in due course my Department will set out our position on each recommendation made in relation to DAERA and the NIEA and the actions we are going to take which will be subject to Assembly scrutiny before it is laid in the Assembly. We will also provide annual reports on delivering those actions.”
“My officials and I will continue to make sure that our statutory and legislative requirements are given the highest priority.”