Does dairy farming contribute to the pollution of Irish rivers?

Agriculture, followed by municipal wastewater discharges, are the leading causes of pollution of Irish rivers. The main agricultural pollutants include silage effluent discharges, sediment and runoff of various nutrients (e.g. phosphorus) during fertiliser spreading, pesticide application or irrigation. There are various strategies in place to reduce pollution of Irish rivers from agricultural sources, such as the EU Water Framework Directive.

For example, fertilisers can only be spread at certain times of the year when land is typically drier, meaning there is less chance of nutrients, sediment or effluent being transferred from farmland to rivers. Water quality in Ireland as published by the EPA has shown consistent improvement over the past 15 years.

Extra Information:

Dairy Sustainability Ireland, along with the Sustainable Dairy Assurance Standard provides guidelines on the application of organic material to farmland with the aim of helping farmers to reduce pollution.

Posted Under: Carbon Footprint & Pollution