Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2010
318 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason the new Environment Protection Agency code of practice on wastewater treatment and disposal systems serving single house guidelines cannot consider alternative engineering solutions to the water treatment issues when T value is more than 90; if he will review this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19163/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Code of Practice to which the Question refers was prepared and published by the Environmental Protection Agency and my Department has no specific function in this regard. However, it is my intention that the Code of Practice will be called up into Technical Guidance Document H (TGD-H) of the Building Regulations which is currently under review. The public consultation process in this regard ended on 8 March 2010. Submissions received are now being considered by my Department, in consultation with the Building Regulations Advisory Body, with a view to having the amended Part H/TGD-H finalised later this year.
Part H and Technical Guidance Document H set out the requirements and guidance for Drainage and Waste Water Disposal, including septic tanks. A septic tank installed in accordance with TGD-H is deemed to comply with the Building Regulations. Implementation of the EPA Code of Practice on Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems is a key step for Ireland in addressing a recent ECJ Judgement (C188/08) which found that Ireland was in breach of Article 4 of the EU Waste Directive (2006/12/EC) which requires all EU Member States to take measures to ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health and without using processes that could harm the environment. For the purposes of the Directive, waste includes wastewaters from septic tanks and other waste water treatment plants from single houses.
In this regard, the EPA Code of Practice on Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems lays down the technical standards to comply with Ireland's duty of care under Article 4 of the Waste Directive, but in particular to ensure that the disposal of waste via wastewater systems for single dwellings does not give rise to public nuisance, health risk or damage to the natural environment. There is no provision in the Directive for a derogation from the requirements of Article 4. Recent EPA statistics indicate that in relation to the 440,000 on-site wastewater systems in Ireland, as many as 120,000 may be giving rise to surface water pollution and 25,000 to groundwater pollution, therefore there is considerable urgency in setting both the technical standards for new build and inspection and maintenance regime for existing systems to improve the situation described above.
I accept that the Code of Practice sets higher standards with regard to the design, installation and maintenance of on-site wastewater treatment systems. I also accept that such standards will pose engineering and planning challenges in certain parts of the country where soil and geological conditions create very difficult drainage conditions. However, such standards are justified because they will ensure that discharges from on site wastewater treatment systems can be effectively disposed of without damaging the environment and water quality in particular.
For more challenging sites, the Code of Practice sets out a number of potential solutions, including innovative designs of wastewater treatment systems and the consideration of discharges other than to otherwise sodden or otherwise unsuitable ground conditions, that can be used to ensure that development on suitable sites can proceed while protecting the environment. My Department will work with local authorities with a view to ensuring that future county development plans, taking account of river basin management plans and other water quality legislation, address this issue pro-actively so that rural communities continue to provide for their housing needs in tandem with protecting water quality.
