Half of Ireland’s urban wastewater is still not being treated to basic EU environmental standards, according to the Environment Protection Agency.
The EPA’s latest Urban Wastewater Treatment report warns that 34 towns and villages in Ireland are still releasing raw sewage into the environment every day.
It notes that one of them will still be pumping out the sewage after 2024.
Some 12 large towns and cities do not meet basic EU wastewater treatment standards set down to protect the environment.
The EPA said the 12 areas account for half of Ireland’s wastewater. Dublin, which is served by an “overloaded plant” at Ringsend that treats 43% of Ireland’s urban wastewater, is one of the 12.
34 towns and villages release raw sewage into the environment every day, with a third of these likely to continue after 2024. Read the EPA’s full 'Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2020' report here https://t.co/d4UrshZBhC #EPAoee pic.twitter.com/DtdGUafEiJ
— EPA Ireland (@EPAIreland) November 3, 2021
The report notes that the deadline for ensuring all towns and cities were up to code passed more than 15 years ago in 2005.
“It is unacceptable that 15 years after the final deadline to comply, half of Ireland’s urban wastewater is still not treated to the basic EU standards,” said Dr Tom Ryan, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement.
“There are repeated delays in providing proper treatment at many areas, and this continues to put our environment and people’s health at risk.
“It is clear that Ireland will still need substantial investment over many years to bring our public wastewater treatment plants and public sewers up to standard.
“Irish Water must deliver the essential infrastructure in as timely a manner as possible and resolve the underlying causes for the delays in upgrading treatment systems.”
12 of Ireland’s large towns and cities failed to meet waste water treatment standards set to protect our environment. These areas generate half of Ireland’s waste water. See our 'Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2020' report here https://t.co/d4UrshZBhC. #EPAoee pic.twitter.com/6q8GuiKqf1
— EPA Ireland (@EPAIreland) November 3, 2021
The report identifies the priority areas where improvements are most urgently needed and the EPA said it is “very concerning” that Irish Water still has no clear action plan for many of them.
It highlights 42 areas where wastewater is a significant pollution pressure on rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters at risk of pollution.
It also identifies seven large towns and cities where the sewer systems need to upgraded.
