Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
709. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated number of individual houses served by private wastewater systems by county; the action being taken to ensure that these are not a cause of pollution; the number of inspections carried out on them in each year since 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15370/21]
View answerThe number of individual houses served by domestic waste water treatment systems can be found in the 2016 Census reports available at www.cso.ie/en/census/census2016reports/.
Under the Water Services Acts 2007 (as amended) and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal and shall ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate and kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or environment.
Section 70K of the Water Services Act 2007 (as amended) requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare a national inspection plan with regard to the inspection and monitoring of domestic waste water treatment systems, and authorises the water authorities to implement the plan including arranging for inspections.
My Department provides financial support to eligible homeowners towards the remediation, repair, or upgrading works to, or replacement of, domestic waste water treatment systems where an Advisory Notice has issued on foot of an inspection under the EPA’s National Inspection Plan.
Furthermore, to support the attainment of water quality objectives in “prioritised areas for action and “high status objective catchment areas” as identified in the River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2018-2021, financial support is available to eligible homeowners towards the remediation, repair, or upgrading works to, or replacement of, domestic waste water treatment systems.
The EPA publishes an annual report on inspections and enforcement and details on the number of inspections carried out can be found on the EPA's website at the following link: https://www.epa.ie/water/wastewater/nip/.
