Being ‘Proactive rather than reactive’ in the Slaney

Protecting water quality starts with managing what leaves the farmyard.

As farms continue to expand, so too has the area of concreted yards within farmyards. These areas can generate runoff containing sediment and organic matter that may eventually enter local drains, streams and rivers. In this video, Co-op Member Seamus Doyle outlines how a farmyard settlement tank has been incorporated into his farm's drainage system to help address this challenge.

How the System Works

Rainwater from the farmyard enters the farm's storm drainage network and is directed into a two-chamber settlement tank. The purpose of the tank is to slow the movement of water and allow sediment and suspended particles to settle out before the water continues through the system.

Once the water passes through the settlement tank, it flows into a willow bed, which acts as a nature-based solution to further filter and polish the water. The willow bed provides an additional treatment stage before the water eventually reaches the farm drain.

Figure 1: Farmyard settlement tank in operation

To ensure the system operates effectively, tanks should be regularly inspected and emptied, with farmers taking care to minimise excessive debris entering the drainage system. Good maintenance helps maximise the tank's performance and protects the long-term effectiveness of downstream measures such as willow beds.

Funding Available

Through the Farming for Water EIP, farmers can receive 100% grant aid up to €6,500 (ex. VAT) towards the settlement tank. Tanks must be constructed to DAFM Specification S123 and, where possible, should discharge to a nature-based solution such as a willow bed to provide additional treatment before water leaves the farmyard.

Figure 2: Farmyard settlement tank design

Understanding Nitrogen Surplus

Nitrogen surplus is increasingly recognised as an important indicator of farm sustainability and nutrient-use efficiency. It represents the difference between the nitrogen entering a farm system through fertiliser, feed, and imported manures, and the nitrogen leaving the farm in products such as milk, livestock, and manures exported.

A high nitrogen surplus indicates that more nitrogen is being imported onto the farm than is being converted into saleable products. This excess nitrogen is at greater risk of being lost to the environment through nitrate leaching, ammonia emissions, or greenhouse gas emissions.

Importantly, nitrogen surplus is an efficiency indicator, not simply a measure of nitrogen use. Improving the figure is not just about reducing inputs; it is also about increasing the amount of nitrogen converted into outputs. Farms that produce more milk solids or livestock output from existing nutrient inputs will typically have a lower nitrogen surplus and a higher nitrogen-use efficiency.

• Practical ways to reduce nitrogen surplus include:
• Optimising fertiliser use through nutrient management planning.
• Making better use of slurry through LESS.
• Improving soil fertility and soil pH.
• Incorporating clover to reduce chemical nitrogen requirements.
• Applying sulphur alongside nitrogen where appropriate.
• Improving grass utilisation and animal performance.

Get in touch

By combining financial incentives, targeted advisory support and catchment focused collaboration, Tirlán’s Farm Sustainability Development Advisors help farmers improve environmental performance while strengthening long-term farm profitability and resilience.

We are here to help. Contact your local Farm Sustainability Development Advisor today:

Advisor	Catchment	Contact
Michael Hassett	Blackwater & Suir	T: +353 86 1073957 E:mhassett@tirlan.ie
Ciara Doyle	Slaney	T: +353 86 1361544 E:[email protected]
Hugh Harney	Barrow	T: +353 86 836 6628 E: [email protected]
Conor Kelly	Barrow, Blackwater & Suir	T: +353 86 204 1446 E:[email protected]
Manus Mcfadden	Suir	T: +353 86 810 0697 E:[email protected]
Sarah O’Sullivan	Nore	T: +353 862036903 E:[email protected]
Mathew Moylan	Nore	T:  +353 86 103 7766 E: [email protected]
Kate Morrissey	Nore	T: +353 86 033 4159 E:[email protected]
Sean Martyn	Boyne	T: +353 86 176 3036 E: [email protected]

 

First Published: 4 August 2026