Mayo has just emerged from one of the wettest winters ever recorded and thankfully we have turned a corner and summer is upon us. Many people are taking advantage of improved weather conditions to catch up on some spraying (or weed control activities). Irish Water welcomes the work of the EPA and Teasgasc to ensure that Ireland's drinking water is protected from pesticide contamination during this period.

A single drop of pesticide can breach the drinking water limit in a small stream for 30 kilometres so it is essential that the safety and health of the population of Mayo is prioritised.

Pat O'Sullivan, Irish Water's Regional Drinking Water Compliance Specialist commented: "Drinking water monitoring results for Ireland show that a number of commonly used pesticides, including MCPA, are being detected more frequently. Careless storage, handling or use of pesticides, or improper disposal of empty pesticide containers, can easily cause breaches of the legal limit for pesticides in drinking water."

With this in mind Irish Water welcomes the work of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, and Teagasc as they advise on the use of pesticides so Irish Water can ensure that compliance with drinking water standards is maintained across the county.

For more information on the use of pesticides tune into MidWest Radio on Wednesday evening next, July 13, where Dr David McGilloway from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine-Pesticides Control Division in conjunction with Teagasc will be discussing the issue on the farming show. Teagasc are also organising a local grassland event later this month in the county. Anyone interested in attending can contact the local Teagasc office for details.

For further information visit www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie , www.teagasc.ie or www.epa.ie