EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 In the most recent assessment, based on information collected between 2013 and 2018 (Topic Box 7.1 describes the type of information collected), it was found that 53 per cent of surface waters were in satisfactory ecological status and the remaining 47 per cent of surface waters in moderate, poor or bad ecological status (Figure 7.1; EPA, 2019a). This means that nearly half of the surface water bodies in Ireland are failing to meet the objectives set by the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/ EC) because of pollution and other human disturbance (Figure 7.3). Coastal waters had the highest percentage of waters in good or better ecological status (80%) followed by rivers (53%), lakes (50.5%) and estuaries (38%), which have the worst water quality (Figure 7.2). Figure 7.1  Surface water overall ecological status, 2013-2018 (Source: EPA) High Good Moderate Poor Bad Surface Waters 44% 28% 9% 18% 1% Figure 7.2  Surface water ecological status by water category, 2013-2018 (Source: EPA) High Good Moderate Poor Bad High Good Moderate Poor Bad High Good Moderate Poor Bad High Good Moderate Poor Bad Lakes Rivers Coastal Estuaries 45% 28% 43% 8% 12% 5% 32% 8% 19% 0.4% 29% 37% 22% 18% 2% 58% 9% 7% 18% 162