1. National Federation of Group Water Schemes Water Services National Training Group 5 th Annual Rural Water Services Conference

2. SOURCE PROTECTION - A FARMER’S PERSPECTIVE Brendan O’Mahony Chairman, National Federation of Group Water Schemes

3. SOURCE PROTECTION – WHAT IS IT? Different Levels Restrictions on farming practices in the vicinity of drinking water abstraction points. Generalised or specific? Recognise site vulnerability, or not?

4. Buffer Zones – a general restriction. Number of restricted land applications of manures. Chemical fertilisers reduced buffer. Or, complete sterilisation from farming.

5. GENERALISED BUFFER ZONES Uniformed areas along rivers streams abstraction points. Biodiversity issues. New farming buffers alongside original buffer zones.

6. RESTRICTIONS ON FARMING NOT NEW Water Pollution Acts 1977 & 1990. Section 12/23. EPA licensing of Intensive Agricultural Enterprises (IAEs). REPS. Code of Good Agricultural Practice (1996). Code of Farming Practice (cross-compliance). Nitrates Regulations (2006). Single Farm Payment (SFP) cross-compliance.

7. NITRATES REGULATIONS Specific restrictions on land applications near abstraction points. Width of buffers varies depending on size / use of abstraction source.

8. Code of good agricultural practice (1996). Voluntary. Generalised restrictions on land applications up to 300 metres. Different buffers for chemical Vs organic fertilisers.

9. FARMING PERSPECTIVE Dependent on whether source protection is generalised or specific. Are underlying reasons clear? Precautionary principle. What are implications of restrictions for incomes / land values?

10. In the context of restrictions on established farming practice to protect sources:- Farmers would expect any income loss to be made good. Accepted principle, e.g. Germany, USA.

11. Basis for identifying / calculating income loss will need to be agreed. Land value effects e.g. Nitrates regulations provide for defined specific buffers.

12. CONCLUSIONS Source protection – a fact of life. Nothing new. Extent increasing. Should only be response to real risks. Need clear link between farming and risk, otherwise compensation must be addressed. Fair basis for measuring income loss. Possible land value implications.

13. National Federation of Group Water Schemes Water Services National Training Group 5 th Annual Rural Water Services Conference