The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 assigns responsibility to the Environmental Protection Agency to make a National Inspection Plan for domestic wastewater treatment systems. The National Inspection Plan 2013: Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems was adopted and published by the EPA in February 2013 . The Plan has been drawn up to best international standards and will underpin the risk-based inspection of septic tanks and other on-site treatment systems. It also has regard to the European Parliament and Council’s recommendations regarding the minimum criteria for environmental inspections in the Member States.
The Plan requires that a minimum of 1,000 inspections nationally are carried out by the Water Services Authorities over the twelve-month period commencing in July 20 13 and the EPA will review the Plan at that stage . The numbers of inspections for each county are included in the Plan. The number of inspections in subsequent years will be a matter for the EPA and I have no direct role in these matters.