Two decades is too long to bring Ireland's wastewater treatment up to standard, says watchdog

10 large towns and cities, including Dublin, are failing EU standards to protect environment from pollution

Two decades is too long to bring Ireland's sewage infrastructure up to standard says the State's environment watchdog. It follows the publication of its 2023 Urban Wastewater Treatment report.

The Environmental Protection Agency says while there's been some improvement, over 400 sewage overflows do not meet national standards to limit water pollution while 10 large towns and cities, including Dublin, are failing EU standards.

According to estimates, it will take Uisce Éireann over 20 years to deliver the improvements needed to reach standards that protect the environment.

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Their latest analysis shows more than half the country's licensed treatment plants don't always meet the standards in their discharge licences and progress and treatment of sewage in many areas is still not as good as it needs to be.

According to the EPA these failings are impacting our rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters some 30 years after EU Member States were told they had to bring provisions into force to comply with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which Ireland is still not fully meeting.

EPA director, Dr Tom Ryan, said: "Investment has resulted in stopping raw sewage discharges during the past year from 13 towns and villages that were priority areas highlighted by the EPA.

"This demonstrates that such investment protects our environment and benefits our local communities.

"The much-needed upgrade of Ireland's largest treatment plant at Ringsend in Dublin, treating over 40 percent of all national wastewaters, is now well advanced, and this is to be welcomed. However, wastewater discharges continue to be a significant pressure on water quality in many of our rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters.

"Without an ambitious and sustained investment programme to build out our wastewater treatment infrastructure it could take over two decades to achieve the required standards to protect the environment.

"At an operational level, Uisce Éireann's slow progress in designing and delivering the solutions needed at the waters most affected by wastewater discharges are prolonging impacts on water quality. Uisce Éireann must prioritise the prompt delivery of these essential works."

Last year some 29 towns and villages across Ireland were discharging raw sewage every day. In 2023, it fell to 16. But the EPA says all deficient wastewater works must be brought up to the standard and improvements must be prioritised where they are needed most.

Noel Byrne, EPA Programme Manager, said: "Wastewater discharge licences issued by the EPA set out the treatment standards needed to prevent pollution by wastewater discharges and protect our rivers and coastal waters. It is unacceptable that over half of licensed treatment plants do not always meet these standards, with issues ranging from short term breaches of treatment standards up to continuous discharges of raw sewage.

"The short term breaches should be resolved through effective management and maintenance of equipment. Uisce Éireann must address infrastructural deficits at the priority areas highlighted by the EPA during its 2025 to 2029 investment cycle.

"This will help deliver significant environmental benefits and protect water quality."

The EPA has identified 73 priority areas where improvements in wastewater treatment are most urgently needed to protect our environment. They say Uisce Éireann has not yet started upgrade works at half of these.

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