NI Water is urging all users of plant protection products, including those treating rushes or weeds during this season, to exercise caution and prevent drips and spills while preparing, applying, disposing of chemicals, and cleaning equipment in the yard.

NI Water’s advice highlights that drips and spills can occur in several ways: chemicals may be washed from land after heavy rainfall, or accidentally flow into drains during filling and cleaning activities in the yard. Taking steps to avoid these incidents helps limit the amount of plant protection products entering local rivers and lakes - sources of raw water for drinking supplies.

Rebecca Allen, NI Water’s catchment officer, explains: “Our monitoring shows MCPA is regularly detected in watercourses between April and October, the main application period. We know farmers are spraying rushes and weeds in grasslands now, and domestic users are treating garden weeds, often with MCPA-based products. 

“MCPA, a broadleaf herbicide, is particularly problematic for local water quality because it dissolves easily and persists in surface water, making its removal both difficult and costly to remove during treatment. Despite these obstacles, NI Water is committed to removing such substances to provide safe drinking water and meet current drinking water standards. 

She adds: “Losing MCPA from fields not only represents wasted expense for farm businesses, but also threatens the water environment and the wildlife it supports. It’s vital that everyone works together to safeguard our valuable drinking water.”

NI Water is a proud member of The Water Catchment Partnership, a proactive coalition of key stakeholders - including Ulster Farmer’s Union, DAERA, CAFRE, the Voluntary Initiative, and NI Water itself - that has been tackling pesticide pollution in raw water since 2013. Their collaborative efforts have made significant progress in reducing MCPA levels, but further work is required.

Recent initiatives by NI Water to lower MCPA concentrations in drinking water catchments include ‘Rush Solution Without Pollution’ trials across counties Armagh, Tyrone, Antrim and Derry~Londonderry. These trials have provided over 300 farmers with free weed-wiping services, offering an alternative to traditional MCPA boom spraying. 

In addition, the Source to Tap Pilot Land Incentive Scheme - jointly funded by the EU INTERREG VA Programme, DAERA, DHLGH, and managed by SEUPB - gave farmers in the Derg catchment 100% funding for weed wiping upstream of Water Treatment Works, resulting in a reduction of MCPA in raw water by at least 25%.

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Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com