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EPA Water Conference 2026 – Videos now available

The EPA Water Conference 2026 took place on 17 and 18 June 2026 at the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill, Galway, and online. This year’s conference, focused on the theme “Strengthening the Measures”

The 2026 conference focused on the key themes of policy implementation, water services, community action, targeted measures and restoration, reflecting the priorities of Ireland’s Water Action Plan and the Water Framework Directive.

Banner for the EPA Water Conference 2026 with a blue background showing mountains and water. The text includes event details: ‘EPA Water Conference 2026, 17 & 18 June 2026, Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill, Galway’, plus the tagline ‘Strengthening the Measures’. Logos for the Environmental Protection Agency, Government of Ireland, NIECE, and Engineers Ireland appear at the bottom.

2026 EPA Water Conference – Conference Programme

Download 2026 EPA Water Conference Programme

Talks from the EPA Water Conference 2026

1) Setting the Scene

1. Welcome address	Roni Hawe Director of the EPA’s Office of Evidence & Assessment, Environmental Protection Agency
2. Minister’s address	Christopher O’Sullivan Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Nature, heritage and Biodiversity
3. Department update on implementation of the Water Action Plan	Emma Quinlan Water Scientific Policy Adviser – Water Advisory Unit, Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage
4. The Water Forum’s vision for the 4th Water Action Plan	Dr. Triona McGrath Research and Policy Lead, National Water Forum

2) Water Services

5. Addressing infrastructural and operational deficiencies in Urban Waste Water	Jim Fitzgerald Regional Operations Manager, Uisce Éireann
6. Preventing problems before they arise: Introducing the Drinking Water Resilience Improvement List	Patrick Chan Senior Inspector, Drinking Water Team, Environmental Protection Agency
7. Registration of small wastewater discharges a new regulatory approach	Jim Moriarty Senior Inspector, Dumping at Sea and Water Regulation, Environmental Protection Agency
8. A review of the National Inspection Plan for Domestic Waste Water Treatment System	Dr. Chris Fennell Inspector 1, Waste Water Enforcement Team Environmental Protection Agency

3) Working with Communities

9. Our Ladys Island Campaign	Eoin Kinsella Executive Agricultural Scientist, Wexford County Council
10. Shellfish in coastal waters	Dr. Vera O’Donovan Regional Development Manager, Bord Iascaigh Mhara
11. Stranoodan Group Water Scheme Protecting water at the source	Ross MacDonald Source Protection Officer, Stranoodan Group Water Scheme
12. Better Farming for Water – Using a multi actor approach to improving water quality in priority catchments	Noel Meehan Head of Water Quality Knowledge Transfer Department, Teagasc

4) Targeting Action

13. Developments in the evidence base to target and track measures	Dr. Eoin McAleer Senior Scientific Officer, Environmental Protection Agency
14. Catchment science informing actions	Ruth Hennessy Catchment Manager, LAWPRO
15. The right measure in the right place: Using scientific data to inform engineering decisions for achieving Water Framework Directive objectives	John Stack Senior Executive Engineer, Dublin City Council
16. Water European Innovation Partnership	Mairéad Whitty Project Lead, Farming for Water EIP

5) Restoring our Waters

17. Waters of LIFE: Issues and actions for high status rivers	Anne Goggin Department of Housing Local Government & Heritage
18. Aligning nature restoration with broader environmental policies	Derek McLoughlin Project Manager, Wild Atlantic Nature, LIFE IP
19. Wild Atlantic Salmon – A species in crisis and a beacon of hope	Prof. Ken Whelan Vice President, Atlantic Salmon Trust Alison Baker Restoration Director, Atlantic Salmon Trust

View Water Conference Presentations here

Learn more

Visit the EPA YouTube Channel here

Check out the 2025 EPA Water Conference here

Check out the 2024 EPA Water Conference here

About author

EPA Catchments Unit

Administrator

The EPA Catchments Unit is based in Dublin, and the team is involved with catchment science, chemistry, ecology, hydromorphology, modelling, Geographic Information Systems and planning. We work with the wider EPA, all of our local authorities, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and other public bodies and Departments to ensure we have the best available data and information about our catchments.

Who is involved?
Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.

This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.

Local Authority Waters Programme

The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.