This is a subscriber-only article
An increase in phosphorus levels in NI waterways has been described as a “cause for concern” in a DAERA report originally compiled in August 2017, and made available on the department’s website last week.
The findings of the report explain the push within the Department to get more farms operating under a nitrates derogation this year.
It confirms that 60% of rivers sampled in NI in 2016 had high or good phosphorous status, with 31.4% of sites at a moderate status and 8.6% classified as poor. This represents a reduction in water quality from the 2012 to 2015 average, where 66.3% of sites had a high or good phosphorous status, 28.1% were moderate and 5.6% were poor.
Nitrates in waterways continues to be less of an issue in NI with the report stating that 100% of freshwater river sites in 2016 experienced a decrease or stability in nitrate concentrations. “Groundwater nitrate concentrations across NI are also generally low,” the DAERA report reads.
SHARING OPTIONS: