OVER HALF OF Ireland’s waste water discharges are not meeting EU standards, according to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA said however that progress had been made by Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) – the state’s water utility – in stopping discharges of raw sewage over the past year.
According to the EPA’s Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2022 report, released today, 26 towns and villages in Ireland were discharging raw sewage daily up to the middle of this year. Since then, new treatment plants have been completed at two of these location, Kerrykeel, Co. Donegal and Liscannor, Co. Clare.
The EPA said that Uisce Éireann has committed to eliminating raw sewage discharges from the majority of these towns and villages by 2025.
However, despite this, the EPA found that Uisce Éireann does not have clear plans to prevent pollution at some of the most significantly impacted water bodies in the country.
Last week, Noteworthy, the investigative platform of The Journal, reported that there are almost 40 locations around Ireland where raw or poorly-treated sewage is discharged directly into the environment, in many cases negatively affecting bathing water quality.
Investigative reporter Alice Chambers found that bathing restrictions have almost tripled in the last decade and this summer saw over half of bathing waters affected. Contamination from waste water treatment plants was the top reason for swimming bans in 2022 and 2023.
The beaches with the highest number of days of bans were Sandymount and Dollymount Strand, right beside the Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant which fails to meet EU treatment standards. The full investigation by Noteworthy can be read here.
Dr Tom Ryan, EPA director, said in a statement at the launch of the report that while recent progress was encouraging, waste water remained a serious issue.
“While it is encouraging to see continued progress in stopping the unacceptable
practice of discharging raw sewage into our environment, waste water remains a
significant pressure on Ireland’s water ways and is adversely impacting water quality,” he said.
“The pace at which Uisce Éireann is delivering improvements needs to accelerate to prevent pollution and protect water quality.”
The report also found:
The EPA report also found 45% of waste water is currently treated to EU treatment standards. Though this is expected to improve to over 90% when the treatment plants at Ringsend in Dublin is completed.
EPA programme manager Noel Byrne welcomed recent Uisce Éireann building initiatives in areas such as Ringsend and Arklow but said that poor management in other areas was causing problems.
“Poor management practices at upgraded plants, such as Skibbereen and Courtmacsherry, caused inadequately treated sewage to discharge into the environment,” he said.
This is not acceptable as these plants have sufficient treatment capacity.
“Uisce Éireann must implement effective maintenance programmes for existing infrastructure and improve its operation and management of treatment plants to prevent such failures in future.”
In a detailed statement also released today, Uisce Éireann said that last year saw over €450 million investment in dealing with waste water, the highest ever amount.
The utility pointed to the towns and villages of Cobh, Bundoran, Duncannon and Liscannor as examples of places that are benefitting from the construction of new plants where none existed before.
Uisce Éireann also said that 11 more plants were currently under construction in towns like Arklow, Kilrush Ballycotton & Ramelton.
“This means that, since 2014, over 70% of all raw sewage discharges have now been eliminated, with the majority of the rest to be ended by 2025,” the utility said.
It also said that last year 91% of treatments plants here were fully compliant with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, and that there were plans to address the plants that were not up to standard.
Uisce Éireann also stated that the Ringsend plant is expected to be at full compliance by the end of the year.
“Ending raw sewage discharges and improving wastewater treatment for cities, towns and villages across the country are priorities for Uisce Éireann,” Brian Sheehan, Uisce Éireann’s Head of Infrastructure Delivery, said in a statement.
We are making huge strides in addressing these issues and we are now seeing real and tangible benefits from the unprecedented level of investment in this essential infrastructure.
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