Crisis funds needed as sewage flowing into beauty areas
AN Environment Protection Agency (EPA) report has highlighted the need for significant funding in waste water treatment plants for Arthurstown, Ballyhack, Duncannon and Kilmore Quay.
The EPA report on Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2016, released last week, addresses the legacy of underinvestment in infrastructure needed to collect and treat our waste water effectively across the country. The report finds that treatment is inadequate in many areas and that untreated sewerage is being discharged in waters off the four villages. The report also identifies the following areas for improvements: Arthurstown, Ballycanew, Ballyhack, Clonroche, Coolgreany, Duncannon, Enniscorthy, Ferns and Kilmore Quay.
Enniscorthy’s waste water treatment system was found to have a non compliant waste water collection system, non compliant with secondary treatment requirements and being non compliant with more stringent requirements. Ferns was non compliant with secondary treatment requirements. The Enniscorthy plant failed to meet the EU’s legally binding standards for the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water. The villages of Ballycanew, Clonroche and Coolgreaney were identified as areas where waste water discharges are the sole pressure on water bodies at risk of not meeting their environmental objectives.
Irish Water issued a response on Tuesday, saying when the company took over responsibility for water and wastewater in 2014, the national utility prioritised the health of its customers by focusing on improving drinking water, where boil water notices affected over 20,000 people, with many more at risk. An Irish Water spokesperson said: ‘This has taken substantial investment and work at every stage of a very complex treatment, monitoring and testing process. We also had to prioritise the resilience of our water network and address leakage and high burst frequency to ensure that customers had a reliable supply.
‘Four agglomerations in County Wexford have been identified as having no treatment or preliminary treatment only. These are Arthurstown, Ballyhack, Kilmore Quay and Duncannon. All four locations are areas that Ireland may be prosecuted for non-compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Irish Water is committed to providing wastewater treatment in these agglomerations.’
Irish Water has now appointed engineering service providers to undertake detailed design, planning and procurement services of the wastewater infrastructure requirements for these areas. ‘These projects will not only bring benefits in terms of compliance but will also ensure that there is an adequate treatment of wastewater, for now and into the future, as well as protecting the environment. It is envisaged that planning, design and construction will take approximately three to four years and will be undertaken between 2017 and 2021.’
Irish Water said it will to engage with the local community over the course of each projects development.
Irish Water’s Head of Asset Management Seán Laffey said: ‘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. A substantial amount of this preparatory work is under way and people will see the outcome of this work over the coming years as construction begins on more and more sites.’