MORE MEASURES TO STEM CONTAMINATION OF WATER SUPPLIES NEEDED

Irish wastewater treatment manufacturers, Ireland Waste Water, is calling on the Government to fast-track some of the proposals outlined in the Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems 2017 and 2018 report. The firm says recent research from the EPA paints a worrying picture of the water quality of certain systems throughout the country and that it is now imperative that Government and the relevant bodies keep their foot on the gas when it comes to ensuring cleaner and more environmentally-friendly water treatment systems.

This comes on the back of two separate reports from the EPA. The first, released earlier this year, revealed that over half of the 2,000 inspections of septic tanks and other domestic wastewater treatment systems in 2017 and 2018 failed inspection because they were not built or maintained properly. The latest EPA report found that sewage from the equivalent of 77,000 people in 36 towns and villages is released into the environment every day without treatment.

Mary Mulcahy, Co-Founder of Ireland Waster Water said: “The stakes are high when it comes to public welfare and environmental protection. We have been in this industry for 20 years and while the quality of water in Ireland is good by international standards, we cannot afford to be complacent in our approach as there are still issues that need to be addressed. As with anything of this nature, the potential for environmental pollution and a negative impact on the health of the nation is great and as contamination of water could have disastrous consequences for those affected, these issues need to be dealt with the gravitas they deserve.”

IWW say there are two primary issues affecting the quality of water in various, particularly rural, locations around the country – namely, the improper spreading of slurry and the sub-par maintenance of household septic tanks and wastewater treatment systems. “We are advocating for a hastening of the pace at which Government and local authorities are addressing these issues and perhaps more sanctioning for those who don’t abide by the existing guidelines. The way local authorities deal with this issue varies from county to county also – there is not a uniform approach to penalties and sanctions when perhaps there should be,” said Mary.