According to the Water Framework Directive Lake Quality Update 2020 there is only one lake in Northern Ireland with “good” water quality and it is in Fermanagh.

Although not named in the the publication released by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Lough Scolban outside Belleek is the only one of 21 lakes to have good water quality with the remainder having water quality ranging from moderate to poor.

Erne North Councillor Siobhán Currie has welcomed news that Lough Scolban, outside Belleek, has been top rated out of all Loughs in the north.

Councillor Currie, who represents Belleek, said of the DAERA report: “Of the 21 loughs in the north, which are 50 hectares or over in size, Lough Scolban is the only one to be graded “good”.

“This says a lot about the local land management in the area and so I’d like to thank the locals in the area for this.

“However, it is worrying that there seems to have been slippage in the water quality in our loughs across the north.

“There is an onus on the public, businesses, farmers and statutory bodies to work together to protect and improve our water courses and lakes for the benefit of all.”

The report shows that since 2015 the number of lakes in Northern Ireland which had good water quality has decreased from five to one.

There are now nine with moderate water quality, seven with poor water quality and four with bad water quality.

Lower Lough MacNean in Belcoo was deemed to have bad water quality, with Upper Lough MacNean, Lough Beg, Upper Lough Erne, Lower Lough Erne (Kesh) and Ross Lough having poor water quality.

Lower Lough Erne (Devenish) and Castle Hume Lake have moderate water quality with Lough Scolban the only lake with good water quality.

The report says there has been a significant decline in lake status since the last publication in 2018.

Meanwhile, Cross-community Labour councillor for Enniskillen, Donal O’Cofaigh has raised concerns that the decline in water quality across the country could lead to the introduction of water charges or the privatisation of Northern Ireland Water.

Councillor O’Cofaigh commented: “The last few days have seen the publication of a series of concerning reports which expose the rapid decline in water quality across Northern Ireland.

This decline is the consequence of decades of chronic underfunding of water services and the absence of effective anti-pollution measures.”

Councillor O’Cofaigh believes that the NI Executive needs to direct huge investment into water infrastructure through a large-scale programme of public works.

“This would create potentially hundreds of needed and decent jobs in a publicly-owned NI water service while improving our environment, public health and allowing needed housing development and further jobs in construction.”

He called on The Executive to establish an independent Environmental Protection Agency with “real teeth to end the blind eye that is turned to the pollution of waterways” and said any attempt to “make us pay twice for water or to privatise a vital public service will be defeated”, said the councillor.