The meeting, which was held in Bornacoola in Co Leitrim, focused on water quality and on informing farmers of the best practise when spraying, in particular when applying MCPA to rushes.

Andrew Doyle of Irish Water told the crowd that even the smallest drop of MCPA in a water stream can contaminate the supply.

“Farmers have to be very careful when applying MCPA. For example, a single drop of this pesticide in a small stream can be enough to breach the legal limit for pesticides in that water supply. A single drop of MCPA in an Olympic-sized swimming pool with contaminate the water. That is staggering,” he said.

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Waterways

MCPA has been a controversial chemical in recent times, with detection of its residue in waterways causes concern among environmental agencies.

Currently, the legal limit for MCPA and other pesticides in waterways is one part per 10bn.

A 2016 EPA report found that 61 water schemes had levels of pesticide exceeding the legal limit in 2015 (up from 28 in 2014), with MCPA detected in 41 of these.

Rushes

With rushes thriving in areas of saturated soils, use of MPCA is usually higher in these regions. Poor practise when applying the pesticide can lead to environmental issues, such as water contamination.

“It only takes one instance of bad practise that can cause the problem,” Kieran Kenny, a Teagasc advisor told farmers at the meeting.

IFA representative John Winters acknowledged the problem, but emphasised farmers were not deliberately polluting the water supply.

“Nobody wants to damage the water, but they want to control the rushes. They have to deal with the Department of Agriculture to get payments and deal with regulations on spraying,” he said.

Locally, concerns were raised over the water quality in the Lough Forbes catchment area. Seven out of 11 samples tested in the Longford catchment area recently were over the legal pesticide limit.

Nationwide, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has 51 open files on waterways which it is concerned about, with a further 46 files temporarily closed.

MCPA: Why is it causing problems?

  • MCPA is water soluble, therefore takes weeks to break down.
  • The pesticide is very mobile in water and can move easily through saturated soils.
  • It is relatively cheap so is used more frequently.
  • Rushes thrive in wet weather. Therefore, areas with saturated soil, such as the northwest of the country, have a higher instance of MCPA use.
  • Farmers fear penalties under land eligibility rules so they spray off rushes.

    • Advice to farmers on MCPA and pesticide use:

  • Use non-chemical methods, such as topping, sward improvement or drainage to control rushes.
  • Always read and follow label instructions.
  • Be aware of the location of nearby water bodies and their proximity to the intended treatment area. A buffer zone of 5m from watercourses must be maintained when spraying MCPA-based products.

  • Find out the location of any nearby drinking water abstraction points and ensure compliance with safeguard zones.
  • Ensure application equipment is properly maintained and calibrated.
  • Never fill sprayers directly from a watercourse
    • .

  • Perform chemical handling operations well away from watercourses and drains.
  • Take great care to avoid spills.
  • Minimise water volumes (rain and washings) on handling area.
  • Do not spray if the grass is wet or if heavy rain is forecast within 48 hours after application.
  • Do not spray during windy conditions.
  • Clean and wash down sprayer after use.

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