March 22nd marks World Water Day and this year, Northern Sound was at the Knocknagrave Environmental Centre and Biodiversity Garden in Tydavnet. The National Federation of Group Water Schemes is the representative body for around 380 group water schemes in Ireland, and the NFGWS has an office in Monaghan Town.
The county has 13 group water schemes, providing drinking water to around 30,000 people and approximately 70,000 people across the Shannonside / Northern Sound region get their drinking water. In 2020, the Tydavnet Group Water Scheme purchased the old Knocknagrave National School and transformed it into the environmental; education centre and biodiversity garden.
Martina Smith is executive scientist with water quality team in Monaghan County Council. She told the Wider View Programme that the work being done at Knocknagrave and Monaghan County Council is as much about future-proofing as educating: "Things are going well here," she said, "so it's about looking at what's there, what needs to be maintained but, also what might future-proof the catchment area with climate change and low flows and what's coming down the line. It's good to be able to put in measures that might protect that."
