Kildare County Council Reminds Farmers of Soiled Water Storage Requirements
10th November 2025: Kildare County Council wishes to remind farmers that, under the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) Regulations, a minimum of 31 days storage for soiled water is required between 1st December and 31st December 2025. The application of soiled water on land during this period is strictly prohibited.
From the 1st December 2025, this storage requirement applies to all milk producers, including winter and liquid milk producers.
Definition of Soiled Water: Soiled water includes water from concreted or hard standing areas, livestock holding areas and other farmyard surfaces contaminated by:
- Livestock faeces, urine or silage effluent
- Chemical fertilisers
- Washings from vegetables, milking parlours. or mushroom houses
- Water used for cleaning farm equipment
Best Practice for Farmyard Management:
Farmers are encouraged to:
- Minimise the amount of soiled water produced on their holdings
- Ensure soiled water and slurry tanks are separated
- Ensure all slurry and water are going into the appropriate tanks
- Divert clean water – such as water from roofs, unsoiled paved areas, or flowing from higher ground - away from soiled yard areas and prevent it from entering storage facilities.
The minimisation and management of soiled water and the provision and management of storage facilities are important measures under the GAP Regulations to reduce nutrient losses and to protect water quality.
Any unauthorised spreading of soiled water on land during the restricted period can be reported to Kildare County Council at: 045- 980588 / environ@kildarecoco.ie
Further information regarding the storage of soiled water can be found at:
https://kildarecoco.ie/AllServices/Environment/Water/FarmingandtheEnvironment/
