Uisce Éireann has been prosecuted 35 times in relation to wastewater discharges by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and six times in relation to drinking water. But problems persist due to a need for further investment and operational issues at plant level, an Oireachtas committee has ‘heard.
Patrick Byrne, director at the EPA’s Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring, told the housing committee there had been an improvement in the company’s compliance levels but that the drinking water for 480,000 people was coming from 35 facilities on the agency’s remedial action list where “significant improvements are needed to protect public health”.
The number of facilities involved has been reduced from 121 in 2014 to 35 now. But the committee heard that while there are plans to address the issue at 32 of those by 2030, at least three will not get the investment required until after that.
Regarding wastewater, Byrne told the committee that wastewater discharges are a significant factor in nearly 200 cases of waterbodies “at risk” of not achieving their environmental targets under the current water framework
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That number, he said, was down from 290 in the last plan. But the wastewater discharged from 59 per cent of the Republic’s existing treatment plants has consistently failed to meet the standards set in EPA licences to prevent pollution.
He said the programme of capital investment required to address the wastewater problem would, on current projections, take more than 10 years, but that the immediate problem was more day-to-day “operational issues” which accounted for about half of the problems experienced and could be addressed with far more modest spending.
“Overall, progress is being made, but much improved operational performance is needed by Uisce Éireann in the short term ... to protect water quality and the environment.”
He added: “Significant progress has also been made in eliminating raw sewage discharges, with the number of towns and villages discharging untreated wastewater reduced from 50 in 2014, serving a population equivalent of over 250,000, to 11 at present, serving a population equivalent of 15,000.”
Sean Laffey, director of asset management and sustainability at the utility, acknowledged problems persist but said the company invested €2.6bn in the system last year.
He said that while wastewater from the Uisce Éireann was an issue for 197 of 4,5000 water bodies, urban run-off was responsible in 194 instances and septic tanks in 188. “The difference is we know where we are causing pressure and we have a plan to fix it.”
Asked about the operational issues and whether timely progress could be made in relation to them, he said many were caused by machinery being run to the point of failure, but that a shift to preventive maintenance is taking place and he expects the situation to improve.
Prof Fiona Regan, director of the DCU Water Institute, said the quality of Ireland’s water is deteriorating.
“We’re at a very difficult period in terms of climate change, which is heavily impacting our waterways, the level of intensive agriculture which is leading to nitrogen pollution and the quality of our soils, which is unable to hold back the pollutants. There are the realities,” she said.
