Water quality in river in this town in Tipperary has improved

There has been a slight improvement in the quality of the water in the River Suir flowing into Clonmel in the last six months.

That was reported by Fran Igoe, the Southern Regional Coordinator with the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) at a meeting of Clonmel Borough District.

READ NEXT: Asphalt plant to go ahead in Tipperary

While this water quality was showing a positive trend, it was nothing to be celebrated. However, Mr Igoe said it was going in the right direction when compared to the water quality in the Barrow and Slaney rivers.

LAWPRO is also concerned about the quality of the water in the river in Thurles, while the River Anner in south Tipperary is also a concern.

He said that in 2024 the south east of the country was at the top in terms of poor water quality, and Tipperary is where it shouldn’t be in the table.

What was striking was the rapidity and the short period of time in which the water quality had declined.

LAWPRO works on behalf of the country’s 31 local authorities to protect and restore good water quality in rivers, lakes, estuaries, ground and coastal water through catchment science and local community engagement.

Mr Igoe said that LAWPRO works with the stakeholders involved, including the environmental group Suircan in Clonmel.

He said that they also communicate clearly with the farming community and he was very open to the idea of a workshop with farmers, as had been suggested by Cllr Tom Acheson.

Agriculture was a big challenge and placed significant pressure on water quality. Farmers had great powers as to what they did on their land and if they manage it right the benefits are huge, said Mr Igoe.

He said that nature-based solutions included a swale, or channel, in which plants were placed, on the road project being undertaken on the Cashel Road in Clonmel. This would help reduce flood risk and reduce the pollution impact from traffic.

The raingardens on Suir Island would reduce the pollution impact and also slow the flow to help protect the River Suir.

He said that the Cashel Road and Suir Island projects would be study sites to determine the efficacy of the nature-based solutions; the performance of engineered soils in the gardens; the suitability of the planting; and maintenance and public perceptions.

He said that these were practical ways to deal with climate change, and were being undertaken in consultation with Borough District Engineer Gillian Flynn.