Catchment News

Home News Water quality monitoring report on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in Irish waters 2025

Water quality monitoring report on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in Irish waters 2025

August 05, 2026 by EPA Catchments Unit | in 3rd Cycle 2022-2027, News, Reports and Assessments, Science, Stories, Water Framework Directive

The EPA has reported on the results of water quality monitoring to support the assessment of the impact of the nitrates derogation on Irish Waters

This report provides an update on the results of water quality monitoring to support the assessment of the impact of the nitrates derogation on Irish waters, as required under Regulation 39 of the European Union (Good Agricultural Practices for the Protection of Waters) (Amendment) Regulations.

Cover page of an EPA report titled “Water quality monitoring report on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in Irish waters 2025”. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) logo appears at the top. A large central photograph shows a clear rocky river flowing through lush green vegetation under a bright blue sky. White geometric outline rectangles overlay parts of the image as a design element. The report title is displayed in white text on a dark blue panel at the bottom of the cover.
View the Water quality monitoring report on
nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations
in Irish waters 2025

Learn more

Water Quality in 2025: An Indicators Report. The report provides an update on the key indicators of the quality of Ireland’s rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal and groundwaters using monitoring data collected in 2025.

Water Quality in Ireland 2019-2024

Related Posts

About author

EPA Catchments Unit

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.

LAWCO

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.

EPA

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.

DECLG

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.