An Inishowen town has one of Ireland’s dirtiest rivers.
The Bredagh river close to Moville has been slammed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
It has been classed as among the six rivers in the country which are badly polluted.
In its first six-year review of water quality under new European rules, the EPA warned that the Republic has failed to meet its clean-up targets.
It also revealed that the number of pristine waterways in the state fell to 21 in 2015 – down from 38 in 2009 and 500 in the late 1980s.
The five other badly polluted rivers were the Tolka between Clonee and Clonsilla in Dublin; the Avoca in Co Wicklow; the Aughboy in Co Wexford; the Laurencetown stream in Co Galway; and the Srah river which runs into Lough Mask near Tourmakeady in Co Mayo.
The review showed some improvements in water quality, with 19 rivers classed as badly polluted in the 2007-2009 period.
Matt Craig, senior scientific officer with the EPA, said: “It would be a huge concern in terms of the approaches that we have taken so far aren’t doing enough.
“We need to be targeting different protective measures in different areas.”
The report is compiled as part of the Republic’s commitments under the European Water Framework Directive. It does not provide evidence for the deterioration of standards in some areas.
But EPA specialists highlighted issues with waste water run-off, treatment plants, floods, one-off house building, clear felling of forestry and agriculture.
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