Waterford has been ranked as one of the cleanest urban areas in the country in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) Anti-Litter League.

The city climbed from sixth place to fourth in the national rankings of 40 towns and cities and was awarded the prestigious “Cleaner than European Norms” status.

The result makes Waterford the highest-ranked city in the survey and continues a strong record of success for the area in recent years.

An Taisce, which carries out the surveys on behalf of IBAL, praised Waterford’s performance across a number of locations. The report highlighted May Park Village, Waterford Cultural Quarter, Broad Street and Barronstrand, and Waterford Nature Park at Kilbarry as standout locations.

Surveyors described May Park Village as a “lovely environment” with abundant planting, while Waterford Nature Park was found to be spotless throughout.

Several areas that had previously experienced litter problems also showed significant improvement. The former Woodpecker site on the Dunmore Road and the Bring Bank at Jenkins Lane and Little Patrick Street both achieved the top litter grade.

The report did identify some areas requiring attention. Apple Market Car Park was found to be moderately littered and was said to be approaching a more serious level of littering. The Bring Centre at Tesco Ardkeen was also criticised, particularly the area to the rear of the facility.

County Waterford:

Dungarvan also performed strongly in the survey, finishing joint 11th and earning a “Clean to European Norms” rating. Five of the ten locations surveyed received the highest litter grade, including Main Street, Dungarvan Castle, Walton Park and Grattan Square.

Nationally, Sligo topped the rankings ahead of Monaghan and Leixlip. IBAL says there are now fewer littered areas across the country than at any point in the past 25 years, with 27 towns and cities classified as clean.

While overall litter levels remain stable, the survey found an increase in discarded plastic bottles, cans, coffee cups and cigarette butts. IBAL says bottles and cans continue to appear on streets despite the Deposit Return Scheme, although litter levels remain significantly lower than before the scheme was introduced.

For Waterford, however, the latest results represent another major success story and reinforce the city’s reputation as one of Ireland’s cleanest and best-maintained urban centres.