Laois village wins national water quality award

A Laois village was singled out as one of just two locations in Ireland to win a Blue Dot Award for its water quality. 

Camross Tidy Towns secured the award and was one of a number of Laois projects to receive funding under the Local Authority Waters Programme. The programme is designed to support local communities to enhance their waterways. 

Camross Tidy Towns Group was allocated €2,210 to develop a Gallery Wall to display biodiversity themed posters pertaining to their aquatic outdoor classroom. 

Other locations successful applicants in the county included Durrow Tidy Towns who received € 2,982.75 to design prints for River Erkina riverside lecterns and  The Heath Group Water Scheme who secured €1,683 for the Installation of a Drinking Water Fountain at The Heath National School.  

Elsewhere,  Killeshin Waterworks Committee was allocated €2,318.24 for improved waterbody access, fencing repairs and litter clean up. 

A total of €523,000 – through 142 individual grants – was awarded from the Community Water Development Fund, to support local community efforts to enhance water quality in streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas around the country.

The fund is administered by the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) with funding provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage. The funding follows the 2023 open call that saw 142 successful applications from across the country. 

Over €520,000 has been awarded to communities for initiatives to enhance water quality in their local area through the Community Water Development Fund. Well done to all the recipients ! See what was funded in your area at https://t.co/SFyGj4yVaq pic.twitter.com/MTtNTuRmKA

— Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage (@DeptHousingIRL) May 3, 2023

Minister Pippa Hackett congratulated Camross on achieving the Blue Dot Award. 

“Community guardianship of local water catchments is playing a vital role in the protection and improvement of water quality in many localities in Laois. I am delighted to see the communities of The Heath, Camross, Durrow and Killeshin funded under the Community Water Development Fund this year,” she said.  

“My congratulations to Camross Tidy Towns on achieving the Blue Dot Award. Blue Dots are catchments which are mostly unpolluted and contain Ireland’s best quality waters. I am aware of the huge local effort on this and send my gratitude to all involved. The Blue Dot tells visitors that this location is meeting targets under UN Sustainable Development Goal 6- Clean Water and Sanitation,” added Minister Hackett. 

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan, also congratulated Camross and IRD Duhallow, the other Blue Dot Award 2023 recipient.  

“I want to congratulate IRD Duhallow and Camross Tidy Towns as they share the Blue Dot Award and commend all the successful applicants who will receive funding, and delivering our targets under UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation. Healthy, clean water is essential not just to communities but to sustain the plants and animals that depend upon sustainably managed water,” he said. 

Create in Laois for the county's children on Cruinniú na Óg

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD said: “These Community Water Development Fund grants will support local communities and groups to deliver projects that enhance the quality of local streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. The fund is a fantastic support to encourage communities to take positive actions for water quality and biodiversity in their local area and recognises the great local initiatives led by communities to take care of water bodies in their local area.”