Good farming practice in relation to slurry management is designed to protect water quality while allowing nutrients to be used efficiently by crops and grassland. Under Ireland’s nitrates regulations, slurry and other organic fertilisers may only be spread during the open spreading season, which generally runs from mid-January until mid-October, with specific dates varying slightly by region. During the closed period in winter months, slurry spreading is prohibited because soils are typically waterlogged, rainfall is higher, and vegetation growth is low, increasing the risk of nutrients being washed into rivers, drains, and groundwater. Farmers must therefore have sufficient slurry storage to hold waste during this period and should only spread slurry when soil and weather conditions are suitable—avoiding frozen ground, heavy rain, steep slopes, or fields close to watercourses. Maintaining proper buffer zones from rivers, streams, drains, and wells, using appropriate spreading methods, and ensuring farmyards and drainage systems are well maintained are all essential elements of good agricultural practice to prevent slurry runoff and protect aquatic environments.
Introduction
Protecting Ireland’s rivers, lakes, streams, drains, and coastal waters depends on fast reporting, clear information, and practical guidance. This page is designed as a one-stop resource for members of the public, farmers, landowners, community groups, anglers, and businesses who need to report suspected water pollution, fish kills, slurry runoff, inappropriate spreading, or other incidents affecting water quality.
It brings together the key contact routes for County and City Councils, Inland Fisheries Ireland, and the EPA, while also explaining what information to provide, who investigates what, and how pollution incidents are assessed in practice. The page also includes guidance on point-source and diffuse pollution, agricultural good practice, slurry management, farmyard maintenance, and the legal responsibilities that apply where watercourses, fish, or habitats are harmed.
The aim is simple: to help people act quickly, report accurately, and support the protection of water quality, aquatic life, and public health.
In Ireland, responsibility for responding to water pollution incidents is shared among several authorities depending on the nature of the incident. County and City Councils are the primary bodies responsible for investigating and enforcing most water pollution offences, including discharges from farms, businesses, construction sites, and domestic sources under water pollution legislation. Where pollution affects fish, fisheries, or aquatic habitats, Inland Fisheries Ireland has enforcement powers and may investigate and prosecute fisheries offences. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates and enforces compliance at licensed industrial, waste, and large-scale facilities. In cases involving illegal dumping or serious environmental crime, An Garda Síochána may also become involved. These agencies often work together during major pollution incidents to ensure the source is identified, environmental damage is assessed, and appropriate enforcement action is taken.