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InvestigatesBallymore EustaceIRELAND’S LARGEST DRINKING water treatment plant was found to have breached regulations for discharges into the River Liffey on several occasions this past year.
Monitoring reports by Kildare County Council, the regulator of the Uisce Éireann facility in Ballymore Eustace, found there to be non-compliant concentrations of chemicals including aluminum across a number of months in 2023.
The plant supplies water to approximately 50% of the population in Dublin city and the Greater Dublin Area, producing in the region of 300 million litres of clean drinking water per day.
However, throughout last summer, it was found to be non-compliant in how it discharges wastewater into the Liffey at a point in Kildare where locals say flow is not strong enough to dilute the nutrient-dense material, causing impacts on marine life in the river.
Wastewater is created during the water treatment process as chemicals are used to make the raw water, in this case from Blessington Lake (Poulaphouca Reservoir), fit for human consumption.
Kildare County Council told Noteworthy that it continues to wait for a report into how Uisce Éireann intends to resolve the highlighted issues.
The volume of chemicals was found to have exceeded the limits set by the plant’s planning regulations across May to July.
When Kildare County Council was asked if it was satisfied with the plant’s activities, it did not respond directly. It instead told Noteworthy that it highlighted issues on foot of the Uisce Éireann submissions concerning chemical data and was awaiting a response from the plant. A spokesperson said:
A report has been requested from the applicant which demonstrates how they intend to rectify the issues raised.
“This report is currently outstanding and it is understood Uisce Éireann are preparing same for submission. Kildare County Council have requested an update on this.”
The discharge from Ballymore Eustace Drinking Water Treatment Plant is regulated by Kildare County Council via the plant’s planning authorisation. The plant samples the discharge and the River Liffey and the results of this monitoring are submitted to the council for their oversight and enforcement.
Tommy Deegan, the secretary of the Ballymore Eustace Trout and Salmon Anglers’ Association, is among the locals who have long been raising concerns about the plant.
He said the number of salmon and trout passing through the river “has increasingly decreased” over the years, and is calling for more to be done by authorities to enforce regulations on the plant.
Deegan pointed to a quirk in planning regulations which has meant that the only agency providing oversight for the Ballymore Eustace Water Treatment Plant is the county council. This oversight only arose after Deegan and fellow anglers made submissions to An Bord Pleanála in 2008.
Following this, the planning board agreed to implement conditions for the plant that it must not exceed certain limits on the volume of chemicals being passed into the river.
When contacted, Uisce Éireann said it has undertaken measures to meet its planning conditions. It said this involves the “optimising” chemical and physical treatment process onsite to “improve the quality of the process waters discharged” to the River Liffey. “This is an ongoing process,” it said.
Deegan said the “liquid waste” discharged as a result of the treatment processes need to be addressed by other agencies. “It’s it’s very hard to get anyone to do anything about it,” he said.
He pointed to a survey initiated Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) of the River Liffey’s fish stock in July 2021, which found some species are depleted around Ballymore Eustace.
When contacted by Noteworthy, IFI indeed said that it found that the River Liffey section immediately downstream to the discharge from the Ballymore Eustace water treatment plant had “poor numbers” of brown trout and salmon, but these “improved further downstream” of the plant.
Last summer, IFI secured a prosecution against Uisce Éireann for pollution of the River Liffey in Ballymore Eustace, due to effluent discharged from the water treatment plant.
Uisce Éireann pleaded guilty at Naas District Court to water pollution offences, which dated to June 2022, and was fined €5,000, and ordered to pay an additional €5,500 in costs and expenses.
The company said its disinfection system at the plant had “failed”, leading to the effluent discharge.
It has undertaken an upgrade in light of the court case which will see the plant modernised and improved the water treatment process at the plant, “ensuring raw water continues to be treated to the water quality standards” as required by EU regulations.
Read about the long battle to monitor the Ballymore Eustace plant >>
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This was originally published by Noteworthy, the investigative unit of The Journal, now known as The Journal Investigates.
Its about time this happened. When it is my time to go would prefer a coffinless burial. There is no need to burden my family with the expensive of a unnecessary coffin. I recently saw a service where they bury you and plant a tree over you. I like the idea of visiting a tree which has grown in place of past loved ones.
The tree idea is done brilliantly in the film ‘the fountain’.
That would suit me down to the ground!
These regulations were most likely introduced to pacify Muslims , whatever about their merits , I believe this is the start of a slippery slope to please muslims , next it will be allowing them to set up Shariah Councils like they are allowed do over in the UK , Shariah Councils were women are often discriminated against by male dominated judges and are too afraid to seek help from state law for fear of being branded westerner , yes I’m afraid its only going to go down hill from here , it starts with small things like the above but the question we need to ask ourselves is where does it end ???????????????????????????
Freebies is here with his daily dose of hysteria…
Every red thumb is from a fool, or a liar.
@ Freebies Ireland, that is…
Thing is that Freebies is right about the creep of Islam and don’t forget that.
Next they will be calling for burkkas for all the female’s in the country,the good dr Ali will tell us that irish women will save a fortune on mini skirts,jeans and make up as the auld head to toe burrka covers the lot.
Actually, no he isn’t. The “Eurabia” myth of the far right has long been debunked as alarmist nonsense by dozens of political scientists, sociologists and historians.
Anyone who has still has nightmares about such a ridiculous fairytale should read something by Justin Vaïsse or Eric Kaufmann.
Now I don’t have a lot of time for Muslims with regard to their treatment of women (their beliefs are their own business)….but I think your a tad paranoid on this one.
I agree, if I moved to a muslim country would they be as accommodating to my religious beliefs??? I think not!
Tanya,
There is an easy way to test that.
Step 1. Go to see muslim country.
Step 2. Die.
Step 3. See if you are allowed to be buried in a nice big shiney expensive, inheritance squandering coffin.
How can 9 people give that comment the thumbs down?
Freebies, don’t worry I’ll start a collection for a coffin for you. Would you like a early grave? :)
I always scroll on the right hand side so I’m probably always hitting the thumbs without realising it.
“To facilitate Muslims”. Sweet Jesus.
I want to be shot out of a cannon from George’s head in Kilkee, dressed as a clown, arms flaying as I hit the water.
Chris, that sounds like the lotto ad ‘What I’d do for a million euro!’ Haha
Hunter S Thompson style
You can build a coffin out of chip-board for €5.
In 10 minutes.
Very hard to do when you are dead.
Lol, Trona!
youve never bought chipboard!
Lol
You build it BEFORE you die Triona.
Mine is in the shed.
I want to be cremated and my ashes used to plant a tree.
Me too. It would seem like the best way of giving back to the earth. There are kits available online for precisely this purpose witha wide range of trees and plants available.
what preference of tree would you like Gary?
I’d go for a hard wood. Make up for all those years in my 70s/80s with without any.
Stuffed and put on the couch! Re-purpose my hands as beverage holders :)
Can’t wait to save a few quid that way!
Become a coffin maker they said. People will always be dying they said. Be grand they said…
Phil Hogan has killed the coffin industry, on top of everything else?
I’m starting my new business Coffin Dodgers Ltd. today.
Rental reuseable coffins.
The body is wrapped & placed on a board. A coffin top is placed on this & clicks hold of the board.
When the coffin is lowered, the top releases & when everyone has left the graveside, the coffin top is lifted off leaving the wrapped body on the board to be buried.
€199.99 per funeral rental (+ VAT)
Comment of the week:)
Coffin or not I’d like to be buried in Beyonce
How deep….?
To the left, to the left?
Burried to my balls in bi bi baskin …. ( a classic from gay Byrnes radio show about 20 years ago) ….
The Jerry Ryan show
You can’t just fire ‘em in a hole in their good clothes!
Put on their old clothes
Burying Thatcher without a coffin wuda saved the tax payer millions
She was cremated
I’m just going to straight donate my body to be stuffed and mounted on a banker’s wall.
I imagine they’d dress me in a sort of paupers clothing and perhaps tuck a little mortgage denied slip in my breast pocket.
I don’t think its fair to say that having a marble headstone is a waste of money. Yeah it costs a lot but if people want to do that then go ahead. If people want to just leave a wooden cross then go ahead. Its up to a family what they want to do.
Yea I’d be up for that wrap me up in a bag and fire me in over a ditch for all I care..
The coffin dodgers will be happy!!
This could catch on.I wouldnt mind trying it…just once :) It would be awkard to shoulder me though :)
This is a nail in the coffin for the coffin makers :)
It’s a racket… You can bet cemeteries will opt out to protect the interests of their colleagues in the industry making overpriced wooden boxes…
I want to be buried near Mecca, with a nice Celtic Cross flanked by a Star of David and on each side as me headstone, after a nice wake with plenty of the crature and hang sandwiches
Phil hogan will then charge a coffin less tax you we can’t win
Another cracker of a money saving idea from this government, probably will be another condition of insolvency.
Good point!
This is an old subject, in the seventies some people wanted to be buried without a coffin and it was refused. Now some want to be buried without a coffin based upon religious reasons and they will be allowed….once again preferential treatment for religions and sky fairy followers.
If the Irish people looked for burial rights without coffins a decade or so ago bet your “Death” Hogan would have insisted it couldn’t be allowed, yet here he’s looking out for the Muslims in preference to the Irish people .
There is such thing as Irish Muslims. Anyway, there is no preference – the law will apply to everyone.
This will make it a far more down to earth ceremony …..
Being told how you are allowed to die is a bit archaic, and has been coming up in the media really.
Its an English law anyway if it dates from 1888. Surely we can alter it a bit and make it our own. Micheal Collins would be turning in his wood enclosed grave
Presumably the Americans buried Bin Laden at sea to save money?
What ever happened to when in Rome do as the Romans do . Any guests to my house normally follow my rules if thy don’t like it thy can f@@@k off
I’d rather be buried in a brown paper bag. I’d rather the money put to a good knees up in my memory. Free bar.
Cremate and fire me ashes off into space on the next handy satelite launch so I finally get away from this World.
There is a company in the UK that will ensure you will be remembered forever by incorporating your ashes in glass manufactured to your wishes,so every time someone take a swig you know they wont forget you in a hurry.
Swim between Cuba and America.
The sharks are hungry.
No coffin necessary.
I want to donate, what’s left of me, live on in those people and be buried in a recycled cardboard box or cloth!
Happened in famine times as well, the dead being buried without coffins, be afraid very afraid on what’s coming down the tracks….
Jaysus… What a depressing story Journal!
Does the rule only apply to “grief-stricken families” as the first paragraph suggests.
Stick to facts Journal, no need for the RTE style emotive dramatics.
Buried naked in the ground or cremated. Makes much more sense to me then being buried in a box.
Although I was against it at the time, I’d like to go the same way as my older bro Tiberius, and be fecked into the Tiber River
Cremation for me “every time”
We won’t be able to afford a coffin by the time hogan is finished ,but he will ,but he will still rot
The government are thinking ahead, by the time they’re finished fleecing us , we wont be able to afford any kind of funeral.
Freeebies ireland, it’s ecofriendly after all, it’ll do away with some of the financial burden of burials if you so wish, worms/spiders/beatles will get fresh bacon for dinner and, most importantly, people should be allowed their dying wish, shouldn’t they?..and by reading the rest of your post regarding sharia law and blah blah scaremongering, you’re definitely a culchie I(no offence culchies, I have relatives who are too), not travelled much and read newspapers regularly running stories on UKIP *yawn* ..and just counting the question marks at the end there, you’re very frightened of Islam aren’t you?it’s actually more similar to Chrisitanity, if that’s your thing, than I’m sure you’d care to realise. Oh well.
I think its a great idea and the idea of planting a tree has got me thinking, though I would say (for me) it would very much depend on the age of my children when I “move on”. I think kids would need somewhere to go to visit their parents, ie the traditional grave, to work through the trauma of loosing them if they were very young….
couldnt give a dam cause i,ll be dead save the money for the living not the dead.
I think we should be planted wherever we want. We could be wrapped in compost that comes on a roll put in a hole shove a timber cross on top. Plant a tree on top. Then Im Buried for very little money.
This is exactly how people in \Ireland were buried in Ireland for about 2 thousand years, it is entirely traditional. Coffins have only been used for about a century. Burial in a shroud is not just Islamic it was also Christian practice.
Has any one ever seen a hearse with a Towbar ? I have ! and was told that the undertaker would leave nothing behind ! I presume he (the undertaker) would bring all your euros too , but where would it be deposited ?
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