The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has announced funding of £260,000 for 12 community projects working to improve water quality.

NIEA Chief Executive, Paul Donnelly, made the announcement during a visit to Armagh Angling Club, where he said that funding was aimed at local communities and voluntary organisations who are running small projects to help improve water quality and the water environment in their local area.

Mr Donnelly continued: "NIEA cannot deliver the required improvements on water quality on its own, so Armagh Angling Club provides the perfect example of what can be achieved when we all work together. They work tirelessly to ensure the water quality in the Butterwater River which flows into Seagahan Reservoir improves by a programme of monitoring, pollution prevention and building relationships within the catchment area to bring about schemes such as this.

"Those groups receiving the funding are invaluable contributors acting as our eyes and ears on the river bank, picking up on problems and opportunities to improve water quality. Their close working relationship with NIEA is of mutual benefit as we both strive to improve water quality in the Blackwater Catchment and across Northern Ireland," added Mr Donnelly.

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Welcoming the allocation of funding, Aidan Donnelly, Chairman of Armagh Angling Club, said: "We consider water quality to be a pivotal issue at the centre of all the work we do to improve the angling environment. We are delighted to be able to work with all stakeholders in the project on the Butterwater River.

"This funding will enable us to work collaboratively with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and local landowners to improve water quality on a very important river which contains a brown trout spawning habitat."

As well as engagement and education with community and landowners the group are looking at nature-based solutions like buffer strips along watercourses to reduce the potential of pollutants entering them.

Seagahan Reservoir which is owned by NI Water is a source for drinking water for a population of 38,000 in parts of Co Armagh including Armagh City.

Rebecca Allen from NI Water welcomed the announcement and the work of the Armagh anglers.

She said: "NI Water fully supports the work which Armagh Angling Club have planned along the Butterwater River. The catchment management interventions they have developed will greatly assist NI Water through improving the quality of the raw, untreated water in Seagahan dam, ready to be treated and supplied to our customers in the area."

NIEA Chief Executive, Paul Donnelly concluded: "Every person in Northern Ireland should consider how their behaviour impacts on the water environment, from being efficient with the volume of water they use to ensuring all our waste water is connected to the foul sewerage system, either septic tank or main sewer network.

"We can all take simple steps to improve water quality such as reducing the amount of chemicals we use everyday by using natural methods of weed control, or encouraging wildflower areas in our gardens to increase biodiversity. We all have a part to play in this long-term effort to positively contribute to a sustained improvement in our water environment."

This funding is part of the 2023/24 Water Quality Improvement Strand which offers funding up to 85% of eligible projects. Grants were available between £5,000 and £30,000 through the competition.