The European Commission has published a consultation document on the quality of drinking water in Europe The aim of this drinking water consultation document is to gather views on the need and the possible range of actions which could be undertaken in order to improve the supply with high quality drinking water. The results of the...

The National Pesticides Working group has produced a leaflet to provide information supporting awareness around responsible use of herbicides, including MCPA, by farmers and other professional users. Protecting drinking water quality is essential for sustainable use of resources. Drinking water monitoring results for Ireland show that a number of herbicides commonly used on grassland, such...

EPA are currently in the final stages of preparing their 2014 Research call. This year’s call will be worth approximately €7 million, split between the Climate, Water and Sustainability pillars. There will also be a seperate Green Enterprise call worth approximately €200,000.  EPA Research Call 2014 Provisional dates: Call opens: 27 June 2014 Applicant Deadline: 5 August...

Ireland’s countryside is undoubtedly a high quality natural resource which is extensive and diverse.   Resource Management, Education and Conservation are ongoing requirements if our countryside is to continue to lend itself to the provision of opportunities for a wide range of countryside recreation activities for both the local population and for an increasing number of tourists. To...

Forthcoming proposals designed to overhaul European Union waste legislation is scheduled for publication later in 2014 and will review several EU directives, and could introduce new waste targets, with the aim of driving greater resource efficiency in line with the 2011 Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe and the Eco-innovation Action Plan. Among the directives...

The EPA estimate  that 30% of private wells in Ireland are contaminated by E. coli arising from animal or human waste. HSE reports a growing number of cases of VTEC – a particularly nasty form of E.coli. Analysis of cases finds that patients are up to four times more likely to have consumed untreated water...

Coca Cola recognised were one of the first companies to recognise water efficiency as adding significant value to their bottom line. For more than 40 years ago Coca Cola have lead the way to demonstrate how a global business can improve their business and add significant value to the countries and communities in which they...

A Water Stewardship Standard setting out how to use and manage water responsibly has been launched by an alliance of 29 organisations including businesses, NGOs and parts of the UN. The Water Stewardship Standard 1.0 is based around the principles of good water governance, and applies to all water types, including freshwater, drinking water, effluent and snow:...

ECHA has published translations of the the updated Guidance for downstream users into 22 EU languages. The update addresses the need to provide more and up to date guidance on The application of scaling when checking whether a downstream user’s use of a substance is covered by the supplier’s exposure scenario The communication of information on the...

Companies of all sizes are responsible for the safety of chemicals that they place on the EU market. Recent surveys and checks by inspectors show that many small companies using chemicals are still unaware of REACH and CLP or may think that the EU’s chemical law does not apply to their business. The leaflet “Chemical Safety...