Agriculture

For information/advice for farmers on slurry spreading and slurry contractors please click on the link below:

Slurry spreading advice for farmers and slurry contractors

A full copy of the regulations can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations, 2022

Requirements for application of fertilisers:

Livestock manure, other organic fertilisers, effluents, soiled water and chemical fertilisers shall be applied to land in as accurate and uniform a manner as is practically possible.

Organic and chemical fertilisers or soiled water shall not be applied to land in any of the following circumstances:

the land is waterlogged
the land is flooded or likely to flood
the land is snow-covered or frozen
heavy rain is forecast within 48 hours
the ground slopes steeply and there is a risk of water pollution having regard to factors such as surface runoff pathways, the presence of land drains, the absence of hedgerows to mitigate surface flow, soil condition and ground cover.

Organic fertilisers or soiled water shall not be applied to land:

by use of an umbilical system with an upward-facing splashplate
by use of a tanker with an upward facing splashplate
by use of a sludge irrigator mounted on a tanker
from a road or passageway adjacent to the land irrespective of whether or not the road or passageway is within or outside the curtilage of the holding.

Buffer distances - What does the law say?

Chemical fertiliser shall not be applied to land within 2m of any surface waters. Plain speak – within 2m of any river, stream or drain

Organic fertiliser or soiled water shall not be applied to land within:

200m of the abstraction point of any surface waters, borehole, spring or well used for the abstraction of water for human consumption in a water scheme supplying 100m3or more of water per day or serving 500 or more persons - Plain speak: within 200m of a town drinking water supply.
200m of the abstraction point of any surface waters, borehole, spring or well used for the abstraction of water for human consumption in a water scheme supplying 100m3or more of water per day or serving 500 or more persons - Plain speak: within 200m of a town drinking water supply.
100m of the abstraction point (other than an abstraction point specified in paragraph (a)) of any surface waters, borehole, spring or well used for the abstraction of water for human consumption in a water scheme supplying 10m3or more of water per day or serving 50 or more persons - Plain speak: within 100m of a group water scheme/ village supply.
25m of any borehole, spring or well used for the abstraction of water for human consumption other than a borehole, spring or well specified above - Plain speak: within 25m of a private well.
20m of a lake shoreline or a turlough likely to flood - Plain speak: within 20m of a permanent or seasonal lake.
15m of exposed cavernous or karstified limestone features (swallow-holes and collapse features) - Plain speak: 15m of landscape features connected to groundwater.
Subject to sub-article (12), 5m of any surface waters (other than a lake or surface waters specified above) - Plain speak: within 5m of any river, stream or drain.
The distance specified in sub-article 2(f) shall be increased to 10m for a period of two weeks preceding and two weeks following the closed periods - Plain speak: from 24th September to 8th October and from 15th to 29th January a buffer distance of 10m for any river, stream or drain must be maintained when land-spreading slurry or soiled water.

Farmyard manure held in a field prior to land-spreading, shall be held in a compact heap and shall not be placed within:

250m of the abstraction point of any surface waters or borehole, spring or well used for the abstraction of water for human consumption in a water scheme supplying 10m3or more of water per day or serving 50 or more persons - Plain speak: within 250m of a group water scheme/ village supply.
50m of any other borehole, spring or well used for the abstraction of water for human consumption other than a borehole, spring or well specified at paragraph (a) - Plain speak: within 50m of a private well.
20m of a lake shoreline or a turlough likely to flood - Plain speak: within 20m of a permanent or seasonal lake.
50m of exposed cavernous or karstified limestone features (swallow-holes and collapse features) - Plain speak: 15m of landscape features connected to groundwater.
20m of any surface waters (other than a lake or surface waters specified at paragraph (a) - Plain speak: within 20m of any river, stream or drain.

Leitrim Closed Land-spreading Periods:

Chemical Fertiliser Spreading PROHIBITED from 15th September to 14th February

Organic Slurry Spreading PROHIBITED from 8th October to 15th January

Farmyard Manure Spreading PROHIBITED from 1st November to 31st January