Privacy Policy
This statement relates to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) privacy practices in connection with its website(s). The EPA is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of other websites that are/may be linked to this site. By accessing this website you are agreeing to the EPA Privacy Policy
General statement
The EPA fully respects your right to privacy, and will not collect any personal data about you through this website that you do not give voluntarily. Any personal data that you volunteer to the EPA will be treated with the highest standards of security and confidentiality, strictly in accordance with the Data Protection Acts, 1988 & 2003.
Collection and use of personal information
The EPA does not collect any personal data about you on this website, apart from information which you volunteer (for example by e-mailing us, by using our online feedback form, or online forms). Any information which you provide in this way is not made available to any third parties, and is used by the EPA only for the purpose for which you provided it.
Personal Data
The personal data collected in the Get Involved forms on this website – name, email address and county – is maintained to provide a mailing list for Catchments and Water Framework Directive public information.
This personal data is stored in a Mailchimp account managed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, is not used for any other purpose and is not distributed to any other systems or organisations. Emails will be sent at about water news and events nationally, the Catchments Newsletter, and if you let us know what county you are in we may send you additional information about what is happening locally.
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the ‘Unsubscribe’ link at the bottom of any email sent to you.
This website is secured by a SSL certificate and is hosted on secure infrastructure to prevent the unauthorised retrieval of personal data collected for mailing list purposes.
Cookies
We use cookies to collect non-personal information about how visitors use our website. Cookies are small data files placed on your computer, mobile or other device when you browse online. This data is stored on your browser. The cookie is sent back to our webserver each time you visit our website.
Cookies are not computer programs and do not run on a computer like programs do. They cannot gather information or function on their own. Generally speaking, cookies do not contain personal information from which you can be identified. Technical details in connection with visits to this website are logged for statistical purposes. No information is collected that could be used by us to identify website visitors. Cookies merely enable us to provide a more valuable online experience to you. These cookies are used as part of Google Analytics, a web analytics service that enables us to track how visitors use our website. Google Analytics uses first-party cookies.
Most browsers allow you to disable cookies or to customise your settings for cookies. You can set up your internet browser to disable cookie technology. The procedure for disabling cookies depends on the web browser that you have chosen to use. Please note that if you turn off cookies or change your settings, some features of this website may not work correctly.
The EPA will make no attempt to identify individual visitors, or to associate the technical details with any individual. You should note that technical details, which we cannot associate with any identifiable individual, do not constitute “personal data” for the purposes of the Data Protection Acts, 1988 & 2003.
Refer to the cookie policy for details on the data collected in your web browser to help customise your user experience on this website.
Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”), to gather statistics on our website. The statistics we gather help us to provide a better online experience for the visitor. For more information on Google Analytics, please visit 
Google’s website.
Google Analytics uses cookies to define user sessions, as well as to provide a number of key features in the Google Analytics reports. This means that the cookies are linked to our website domain(s), and we will only use that cookie data for statistical analysis related to your browsing behaviour on our websites. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. If you choose, you can opt out by selecting the appropriate setting on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. You can opt-out from being tracked by Google Analytics by downloading and installing Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on for your current web browser.
Further details on Google Analytics use of cookies
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.