SERVICES
Monaghan County Council reminds farmers and agricultural contractors to follow good practice when spreading slurry.
- Spread slurry when ground and weather conditions are good (check weather forecast and ground conditions before you spread).
- Leave buffer strips of at least 5 meters away from surface watercourses. This distance increases to 10 m in the first two weeks after and before the prohibited period.
- Leave buffer strips of at least 20 meters away from lake shorelines.
- Avoid steep ground near waterways.
- Avoid heavy application of slurry.
- Be aware of any drinking water supply sources on or adjacent to lands and the distances to be maintained.
- Tankers and umbilical systems must only use a downward facing splash plate.
- Use of a sludge irrigator or rain gun mounted on a tanker is not permitted.
- Spreading from a public roadway or a laneway within your farm holding is not permitted.
- From 2023, everyone with a grassland stocking rate of 150kg N/ha or above must apply slurry using Low Emissions Slurry Spreading (LESS) Technology. LESS must also be used for the application of pig slurry
Good land spreading practice optimises the fertiliser value of slurry.
Poor land spreading practice can cause water pollution and can affect Farm Payments.
If you are in doubt whether you or your contractor should spread or not, contact the Environment Section Water Quality team on 042 9661240.
Signed: 
Director of Services, Climate Action, Environmental & Water Services