A WATER treatment company has admitted five million litres of raw sewage spilled into a river close to a nature reserve, prompting local fears of significant damage to the ecosystem.
Veolia Water Ireland, which operates a treatment plant in Wicklow town for the county council, has told the local authority sewage seeped into the Leitrim, a tidal river connecting the sea to the Broad Lough lakes, a special protection area, over a 33-hour period in late March.
Estimates obtained from the council put the spill at 4,900 cubic metres, meaning almost five million litres of sewage were pumped into the river – also commonly used by a swimming club.
It is understood a member of the public discovered the material seeping into the river from a storm pipe after becoming concerned by the stench. The woman alerted the council and Veolia confirmed untreated waste water had entered the river. A statement from the firm last week said the “primary reason” for the incident was an “automated alarm” that would normally have been sounded “regrettably failed”.