{"id":389638,"date":"2026-04-09T10:07:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T10:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/389638\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T10:07:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T10:07:25","slug":"meet-the-donegal-natives-working-to-improve-water-quality-across-the-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/389638\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Donegal natives working to improve water quality across the county"},"content":{"rendered":"

Based at the Goldrum Water Treatment Plant, the Donegal sampling team consists of Sampling Officers Michael McMenamin and Sabrina Mongan, led by Sampling Supervisor Dearbhaile MacIntyre.<\/p>\n

All three are Letterkenny IT graduates who have chosen to build their careers within their native county.<\/p>\n

Between them, the trio is responsible for carrying out accredited water and wastewater sampling at more than 100 locations across County Donegal.<\/p>\n

Their work involves collecting samples from Uisce \u00c9ireann\u2019s drinking water sources, treatment plants and wastewater assets, carefully recording and documenting each sample to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the data gathered.<\/p>\n

This information plays a critical role in monitoring water quality, protecting public health, and ensuring compliance with environmental and regulatory standards.<\/p>\n

Leading the team is Sampling Supervisor Dearbhaile from Ramelton who says the opportunity to both study and build a career in Donegal has been a major positive for her.<\/p>\n

\"Uisce<\/p>\n

Uisce \u00c9ireann\u2019s Sampling Supervisor, Dearbhaile MacIntyre from Ramelton, pictured at Goldrum Water Treatment Plant. <\/p>\n

\u201cBeing educated here in Donegal and then being able to build a career in the county is a real bonus.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m incredibly proud to be part of this team.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re all Donegal people, and there\u2019s something very special about working close to home through Uisce \u00c9ireann. Seeing the positive impact of our work every day is something I take great pride in.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sabrina, a native of Barnesmore Gap, the job continues a strong family connection to water services.<\/p>\n

Her father, Noel, has long worked as a caretaker in Ballyshannon Water Treatment Plant, and his dedication to water quality inspired her to follow a similar path.<\/p>\n

A farmer herself, Sabrina says the role complements both her professional interests and her love of working outdoors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really love being out and about across Donegal.<\/p>\n

“No two days are ever the same, and the variety of the job means I\u2019m constantly learning.<\/p>\n

“Being a farmer as well, I already have a strong connection to the land, so working outdoors and protecting water sources fits very naturally with what I do outside of work,\u201d said Sabrina. <\/p>\n

Michael, from Castlefinn, also feels a strong sense of pride in being able to work close to home and as a farmer too, his respect for the environment runs deep.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to be able to work locally here in Donegal.<\/p>\n

“Being part of a team that\u2019s out in the community every day, doing work that directly benefits County Donegal, really means a lot.<\/p>\n

“When you\u2019re farming, you see firsthand how important clean water and healthy land are,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

A local team serving local communities, the Donegal sampling team monitors water quality at more than 100 sites across County Donegal.<\/p>\n

The team also follows strict safety and quality\u2011assurance procedures while out in the field, maintaining and calibrating specialist sampling equipment and ensuring samples are transported correctly for laboratory analysis.<\/p>\n

Responsibility for this work has transitioned from a private provider to the team.<\/p>\n

Working to detailed sampling schedules, Sabrina, Michael, and Dearbhaile respond to emerging issues on the network and support wider operational teams by providing reliable, high\u2011quality data that helps identify risks and guide decision\u2011making.<\/p>\n

The work of the Donegal sampling team plays a vital role in protecting the county\u2019s natural environment.<\/p>\n

By closely monitoring both water and wastewater assets, the team helps to safeguard Donegal\u2019s rivers, lakes, coastal waters and groundwater sources from pollution and environmental harm.<\/p>\n

Accurate and timely sampling allows Uisce \u00c9ireann to identify potential risks early, support effective treatment processes and ensure that wastewater discharges meet strict environmental standards.<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/p>\n

Michael McMenamin and Sabrina Mongan collecting and recording water samples helping ensure water quality meets environmental and regulatory standards across Co Donegal.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for Uisce \u00c9ireann said, \u201cThis is particularly important in a county like Donegal, where clean water underpins local communities, agriculture, fisheries, tourism and biodiversity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work of Dearbhaile, Michael, and Sabrina across the county helps to strike a balance between meeting the needs of communities today and protecting Donegal\u2019s natural resources for future generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch of this work happens quietly behind the scenes, but it is essential to safeguarding the county\u2019s environment for the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith strong local roots, farming backgrounds, and a shared commitment to their communities, the Donegal sampling team brings both professional expertise and personal pride to their work.<\/p>\n

“Though still a relatively new team, they have already developed a strong sense of camaraderie and purpose, united by their dedication to serving Donegal and protecting the county they call home.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Based at the Goldrum Water Treatment Plant, the Donegal sampling team consists of Sampling Officers Michael McMenamin and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":389639,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[25665,246,61,60,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-389638","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-emma-ryan","9":"tag-environment","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=389638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/389639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=389638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=389638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=389638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}