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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Shauna Corr

Irish Water has no action plan as half of our water is not treated to EU standards

Over half of Ireland’s waste water is not being treated to EU standards designed to protect our environment.

The latest Environmental Protection Agency probe found wastewater discharge is having an impact on rivers, lakes and coastal areas in 38 areas.

It also found that Irish Water has no clear action plan or time frame to improve treatment at 27 of the sites.

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Ireland’s largest treatment plant at Ringsend in Dublin is overloaded and fails to consistently treat sewage to the required standards.

A total of 32 towns and villages were discharging raw sewage into our environment every day in mid-2022 while 12 large towns and cities did not treat sewage to the required standard.

Six large towns and cities have sewers that must be upgraded to address a judgement from the Court of Justice of the European Union and ensure waste water is retained within the sewers and conveyed for treatment.

Ireland was also found to be well below the average EU standard of 90% compliance.

Dr Tom Ryan, EPA Director said: “It will take a high level of sustained investment over the next two decades to bring all treatment systems across the country up to the required standard to protect the environment and public health.”

While targeted improvements improved water quality and eliminated raw sewage discharges from Cobh and Castletownbere in Cork, he added: “Irish Water has failed to produce action plans to improve treatment at one-third of the priority areas identified by EPA where wastewater is harming our rivers, lakes and coastal waters.

“It is essential Irish Water provides clear, site specific action plans and time frames to improve treatment in these areas, and it needs to allocate the necessary resources in its next investment cycle to implement and complete them and to resolve the associated environmental harms.”

The environment watchdog says Irish Water must provide for all improvements needed in its next investment plan, which covers the period 2025-2029.

“A major upgrade of the plant began in 2018 and is due to be completed in 2025,” added Dr Ryan.

Construction work to provide treatment for the 32 areas discharging raw sewage listed in the report is either ongoing or due to start in the next two years.

EPA says it is essential Irish Water delivers these projects as soon as possible.

EPA Programme Manager Noel Byrne added: “Sixteen years after the final deadline to comply, half of Ireland’s sewage is still not treated to the standards set to protect the environment.

“It is particularly concerning to see some towns such as Ballymote in Sligo failing in 2021, despite having the necessary treatment infrastructure and meeting the standards in 2020. This highlights the need for improved vigilance and oversight by Irish Water to make sure treatment infrastructure is always operated at its optimum.”

The report also highlights how Irish Water needs to improve information on the condition and performance of sewers to inform and plan upgrade works necessary to mitigate environmental risks from sewer overflows.

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