Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2018
1174. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the steps he is taking to address the discharge of sewage into the sea at various locations (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44996/18]
View answer1182. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the ongoing EU Commission and European Court of Justice legal action against the State for breaches of the urban waste water treatment directive. [45181/18]
View answer1183. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the estimated cost involved in remedying the wastewater treatment services in the 28 large towns and cities in which wastewater treatment failed to meet mandatory standards according to the EPA urban wastewater treatment in 2017 and that are the subject to European Court of Justice proceedings for breaching these requirements. [45182/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1174, 1182 and 1183 together.
The EPA issues a report on urban waste water treatment in Ireland every year. The latest report is based on the assessment of effluent monitoring results from 1,100 waste water treatment plants reported to the EPA by Irish Water and on enforcement activities carried out by the EPA during 2017.
Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local level, including investment in wastewater treatment plants, and Irish Water’s primary function is to provide clean safe drinking water to customers and to treat and return wastewater safely to the environment. Irish Water takes a strategic, nationwide approach to asset planning and investment, and meeting customer requirements.
Following actions taken by Irish Water, the EPA has found that the number of priority urban areas where waste water treatment needs to improve is down to 132 from 148 in 2016. Of 44 towns and villages where raw sewage was being discharged in 2016, 6 are now connected to treatment plants. The remaining 38 towns and villages, with a population equivalent of 88,000 people, will be connected by 2021.
Out of the 179 Large Urban Areas in Ireland, 28 areas failed to comply with the EU’s legally binding standards for the treatment of urban waste water. Over the period 2016–2024, capital upgrades and operational improvement works will have been completed or undertaken at all of these urban waste-water treatment plants to ensure that treatment levels and capacity comply with the requirements of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. Substantial State funding is being provided for this purpose under the National Development Plan under Project Ireland 2040.
This investment reflects the objectives of the River Basin Management Plan 2018 - 2021 which outlines what Ireland is doing to protect and improve our waters. Among a broad suite of measures the plan provides for €1.7 billion worth of investment by Irish Water in 255 urban wastewater projects which are designed to achieve compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). Of the urban areas where works are required, the majority will be compliant by end 2021, including Ringsend which is the single largest wastewater treatment plant in the country, accounting for 41% of the total wastewater load.
The European Commission has taken an infringement case against Ireland in relation to the UWWTD which sets out requirements for the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water. A hearing in the case took place in the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on 19 September 2018 and a judgement is due within 6 months.
Irish Water has developed a long term investment perspective in order to strategically address the deficiencies in the public water and wastewater system. It is optimising investment decisions to ensure that they utilise scarce capital by making investments that deliver the best possible improvements for these communities. Building water and wastewater treatment plants and upgrading or building water and wastewater networks as necessary will require significant investment.
