River water quality in Ireland is deteriorating, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned.
A new study from the agency shows only 53% of the country's surface water bodies are of acceptable quality.
92% of groundwater bodies, 80% of coastal waters, 53% of rivers, 50% of lakes and 38% of estuaries were found to be of satisfactory quality,
The EPA highlights river waters as a particular concern, with the quality having dropped by 5.5% since the last assessment four years ago.
The report also found that the number of pristine rivers - described as the 'best of the best' - around the country decreased by more than 95% in the past three decades, dropping from over 500 to just 20.
Meanwhile, the number of seriously polluted river water bodies has risen from six to nine, ending what the EPA says was "many years of an improving trend".
EPA Water Programme Manager, Mary Gurrie, explained that the poor water quality is down to a number of factors.
She said: "The two largest [factors] are agriculture and wastewater from our towns and villages, and also to some extent from domestic wastewater systems like septic tanks.
"There are others, such as forestry, peat extraction and industry... and also physical changes to water bodies, such as land drainage and putting in things like weirs and barriers to fish migration."
EPA Director Matt Crowe added: "Not only are we failing to improve overall water quality, we are also failing to prevent further deterioration of our rivers."
The EPA is recommending a monitoring plan - set up last year to improve water quality - be fully implemented so the issue of poor water quality and pollution doesn't get worse.
