Many lakes in the Republic at risk of same algal blooms blighting the North's Lough Neagh, EPA warns

Ducks swim through algal bloom last year on the shores of Lough Neagh in Co Antrim. Agricultural activity was identified as the main pressure on water quality on most lakes. File picture

A large number of lakes in the Republic could experience the same harmful algal bloom events that have caused serious environmental problems with waters in Lough Neagh in the North, the State’s environmental watchdog has warned.

New research commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency found that seven out of 35 large lakes in the Republic also face a high potential threat due to a combination of similar factors which caused the problem with Lough Neagh.