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EPA: 38 waste water treatment plants fail to meet standards

12 Dec 2014

The Environmental Protection Agency's report on Waste Water, released today, reveals that waste water discharges from 38 major treatment sites in Ireland did not meet standards in 2013.

Nine large urban areas did not meet the EU Directive's requirement to provide secondary treatment, and treatment sites in the major urban areas of Dublin and Cork were among those that failed to meet the standard. The report also highlighted that there are areas such as Killybegs, Youghal, and Lower Cork Harbour where sewage is receiving no effective treatment. Gerard O'Leary, Director of EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said in relation to the findings, "The reasons for the failures range from, in some instances a complete absence of infrastructure to treat sewage, in others, inadequate infrastructure, and in further instances, poor management and operation of infrastructure.”

Of the 441 plants with secondary treatment, 71% managed to achieve the minimum standard, up 17% since 2009. However, the EPA noted that "significant improvement is needed in the infrastructure and management of waste water from Ireland’s towns and villages" in order to meet the European Directive on urban waste-water treatment which Ireland adopted 20 years ago, and protect the environment and population from the adverse effects of sewage discharge.

Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering

Innealtóireacht Shibhialta agus Timpeallachta

University College Cork, Cork

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