Public meeting about water quality to be held in north Mayo town

The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), working on behalf of Ireland’s 31 local authorities to protect and restore good water quality in rivers, lakes, estuaries, ground and coastal water, is holding a community information meeting about water quality and water related issues in the Ballina Municipal District.

Under the River Basin Management Plan for Ireland LAWPRO carries out work in areas identified as having poor water quality called Priority Areas for Action (PAA) to support targeted water quality improvements with other stakeholders.

The community information meeting on Tuesday, June 17, in Ballina is being held to make more people aware of work to improve water quality in the area and to encourage as much engagement as possible with all stakeholders right across the community, including key agencies, special interest groups, voluntary, public and private sectors.

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The meeting will take place in the rehearsal room in Ballina Arts Centre (F26V627) where refreshments will be available.

Over the past number of years LAWPRO has been working in the area as part of the 2nd cycle River Basin Management Plan for Ireland. At the meeting LAWPRO experts will take you through the work that has been carried out in the 2nd cycle and what is being planned for the 3rd cycle Water Action Plan. There will also be opportunities for the public to ask questions and talk to members of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) and the LAWPRO Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project team.

Ahead of the public meeting, Anthony Coleman, Director of Services with LAWPRO said: “As we are coming to the end of 2nd cycle work in the Ballina Municipal District area and begin implementation of the new Water Action Plan we would like to take this opportunity to welcome members of the public to come along and find out more about what’s happening in their local waterbodies and river catchments.

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"We hope to engage as many people as possible at this meeting in Mayo because public participation and support is key to achieving water quality improvements. We would also like to thank all those, whether in a voluntary or paid capacity, working in their local areas to help make a difference to their natural waters and the biodiversity that live in and around them.”

To find out more about the work of the Local Authority Waters Programme please visit: www.lawaters.ie