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Untreated raw sewage from the equivalent of 120,000 people is being pumped into Irish waters

The Environmental Protection Agency said serious investment is needed.

raw sewage Map of affected areas. EPA EPA

UNTREATED RAW SEWAGE is being pumped into Irish waterways from 44 different urban locations, a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report has found.

The EPA report found that sewage from the equivalent of 120,000 people is flowing into coastal areas in every province.

Raw sewage can be contaminated with harmful bacteria and viruses. It can pose a threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems, according to the EPA.

The EPA report on Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2016, released today,  found that there is a need for “significant funding” to address the legacy of underinvestment in infrastructure needed to collect and treat waste water effectively.

The report finds that treatment is inadequate in many areas. Commenting on the report Gerard O’Leary of the EPA’s said that wastewater from over half our population failed to meet environmental standards.

“For many years Ireland failed to address the deficiencies in wastewater treatment.  Substantial and sustained investment is now required to protect our valuable waterways and protect public health.”

The environmental group has also found:

  • There are 50 large areas where waste water was not treated to European Union standards.
  • Four areas where discharges contributed to poor quality bathing waters
  • 12 areas where improvements are needed to protect freshwater pearl mussels
  • 59 areas that are the sole threat to water bodies at risk of not achieving good status
  • 3 areas where disinfection is required to safeguard shellfish habitats

Darragh Page, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said that urgent work is needed to safeguard our water for the future.

He said: “Ireland’s environment is at risk because waste water is not treated to the necessary standards, even though the final deadline to meet these standards was 2005.

New or upgraded treatment systems are required in some areas.  In other areas, there is already sufficient treatment capacity in place, but the management of the treatment systems needs to improve.

The EPA initiated five prosecutions against Irish Water in 2016 for breaches of waste water discharge authorisations. These prosecutions concluded in 2017 and Irish Water was convicted in each case. In total, Irish Water was fined just over €56,000.

Responding to the report, Irish Water said it is working overtime to ensure they treat as much waste water as possible.

Irish Water’s head of asset management, Seán Laffey: “As with drinking water, Irish Water as a single utility can for the first time have an overarching strategy on wastewater. This planned approach will in time deliver sustained benefits in terms of improved compliance in wastewater treatment.

“The lead in time for building or upgrading a wastewater treatment plant can be up to three years to ensure that all planning, regulatory, environmental and statutory obligations are met. Site selection, public consultation and site purchase are also vital parts of the process.”

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    Mute LFCMAD_94
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    Oct 15th 2020, 5:47 PM

    Another false promise from the government and the HSE.. surprise surprise

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    Mute Alan
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    Oct 15th 2020, 5:51 PM

    @LFCMAD_94: Typical. Blame the HSE and our government fir a worldwide shortage of the flu vacine.

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    Mute LFCMAD_94
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    Oct 15th 2020, 5:56 PM

    @Alan: did I blame them for shortages? I blamed them for promising things they will never deliever

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    Mute Bananaquit
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    Oct 15th 2020, 6:34 PM

    @LFCMAD_94: typical person who didn’t read the article before posting

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    Mute Patricia O'Reilly
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    Oct 16th 2020, 12:46 AM

    @Alan: don’t think it is the HSE or government fault.. BLAME the pharmaceutical company’s greed.. the uk seem to have enough. What are we being charged? What are other countries being charged? I smell foul play.. and greed .

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    Mute Justin Hanley
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    Oct 15th 2020, 6:02 PM

    The ceo of hse Paul Reid should be sacked. He comes on TV as if he runs the hse without fault. He is a W a s t e r with no health background and get paid an absorbent amount to push paper and read out prepared statements on tv that are written for him. He can’t even get the flu vacine right,when he new this was coming .
    A total waste of money that a monkey could do his job.

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    Mute Tom Harpur Photography
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    Oct 15th 2020, 6:06 PM

    No issue here rang my Dr a week ago for flu jab had my appointment Tuesday gone. Both my parents only had to wait a few days my friend only had to wait a few days and got both his flu jab and pneumonia jab.

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    Mute Bren
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    Oct 15th 2020, 6:39 PM

    @Tom Harpur Photography: Someone give this man his medal.

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    Mute Patricia O'Reilly
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    Oct 16th 2020, 12:48 AM

    @Tom Harpur Photography: lucky you.. none in the north east

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    Mute Úna O Connor Barrett
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    Oct 15th 2020, 6:33 PM

    If you could get through to the gp it might help.

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    Mute Toni
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    Oct 15th 2020, 6:57 PM

    This country is the biggest joke. Encouraging everyone to get the flu vaccine and not even having enough for the most vulnerable. Absolute shambles

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    Mute Alan
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    Oct 15th 2020, 7:01 PM

    @Toni: try actually reading the article.

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    Mute J
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    Oct 15th 2020, 6:19 PM

    Flu cases are going to plummet this year anyway with all this social distancing. Flu is not as contagious as COVID.

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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    Oct 15th 2020, 7:16 PM

    @J: and it’s the same cohort that is at risk from Covid. So they are unlikely to be hit with the flu and Covid at separate times

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    Mute Lorraine Mac Rory
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    Oct 15th 2020, 8:14 PM

    @Anne Marie Devlin: why?

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Oct 15th 2020, 11:38 PM

    @J: Most flu variants would be just as contagious as Covid, but dont spread as widely due to limited opportunity. The majority of people infected with Covid can be walking around and interacting with others while having little or no symptoms for the entirety of their infection. The majority of people infected with a flu virus will have nasty, fast onset symptoms which means they will be at home in bed and interacting with very few within hours of the symptoms first appearing. I’ve only had flu twice in my life with the last time being roughly 25yrs ago, but its an illness you don’t forget in a hurry.

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    Mute Glammymammy
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    Oct 15th 2020, 7:52 PM

    “In contrast to COVID, children are vectors for flu”. This is ridiculous. Of course children spread COVID. Not their fault but they spread everything. As a mother myself, I have first hand experience of this. Not saying we should close schools but thinking that kids don’t spread it is serious denial.

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    Mute David Stapleton
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    Oct 15th 2020, 7:26 PM

    One thing this pandemic showed was that the medical system in France isn’t quite as good as people thought it was, but we can still get the flu vaccine free at any pharmacy….

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    Mute Barbara Stewart
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    Oct 16th 2020, 10:30 AM

    @David Stapleton: only if they have a supply!!

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    Mute CarrieRanger
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    Nov 1st 2020, 7:31 PM

    Any update on the flu vaccine supply situation? Looks like loads of vulnerable people are not going to be able to get it this year

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