AQW 9720/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 04/11/2020
Answered On Date: 16/11/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail which local council areas comply with the standards in the Northern Ireland water quality regulations.

Answer:

Water quality in rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal and groundwaters is assessed against standards set out in the Water Framework Directive (Classification, Priority Substances and Shellfish Waters) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015.

In the latest full classification in 2018 only 37% of Northern Ireland’s water bodies were at the relevant good status or better, with each of the local council areas having water bodies below this standard. Therefore none of the local council areas fully comply with the water quality standards in the above Regulations.