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River Basin Management Service announced as new name for Local Authority Waters Programme

The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) has officially become the River Basin Management Service, marking a significant milestone in the organisation’s evolution and its continued role in supporting the delivery of Ireland’s national water quality objectives.

The River Basin Management Service works on behalf of Ireland’s 31 local authorities to protect and restore water quality in our rivers, lakes, estuaries, ground and coastal water through catchment science and local community engagement, and is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Since it was founded, it has awarded €7.5 million to 1,208 community projects supporting local water quality improvements through the Community Water Development Fund and Catchment Support Fund, while also providing regular grants through the Small Grants and Events Scheme and annual Heritage Week funding.

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The organisation will now operate under the name River Basin Management Service.

While the name is changing, the purpose, services and commitment remain exactly the same.

The River Basin Management Service will continue to:

Support communities working to protect and restore Ireland’s rivers, lakes, estuaries, groundwater and coastal waters.
Provide robust catchment science to ensure the right measure is put in the right place.
Administer funding opportunities that help communities improve local water quality.
Deliver innovative water quality solutions through programmes such as the Farming for Water EIP, Nature-based Solutions and Blue Dots Catchments Programme.

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.