The government is planning to bring the standards for the island’s watercourses more into line with those of the UK.

It has initiated a public consultation process, as current legislation requires, before doing so.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture is seeking views on proposals to introduce Water Quality Objectives (WQO) and Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) to assess water quality and monitor compliance for inland, coastal and bathing waters in the Isle of Man.

Farmers will have an interest in this as it will also include updating the standards currently set for agricultural pollution through such things as nutrients (phosphates and nitrates); chemicals including pesticides and veterinary medicines, and faecal bacteria and pathogens.

The department welcomes your responses to relevant questions regarding this, along with any additional comments on the proposals that you consider may be of relevance. This consultation will run for a period of three months.

Environmental protection officer, Danielle Coombes, said: ’The majority of the island’s rivers are in excellent or good condition and the proposed standards are not drastically different from the current system.’

The agricultural sector should not be massively affected providing they follow the ’Protecting our Water and Soil’ guidance which is on https://www.gov.im/media/1363891/protecting-our-soil-and-water.pdf.’

You can find a copy of the consultation at https://www.gov.im/media/1369698/proposed-eqs-apem-report.pdf