Untreated waste overflows from plant for two days

Complaints were made to the Environmental Protection Agency after untreated waste overflowed into nearby woodland over the weekend.

Untreated waste from the local authority plant in Castlemartyr, Co Cork, continued to flow for more than two days before a waste water engineer from Cork County Council was sent to the plant, under orders from the EPA.

Residents have described the scene as a “public health hazard”.

The overflow began on Saturday but a waste water engineer did not visit the plant until yesterday. The engineer told the EPA he had ordered that a blocked screen on an inlet be cleared to stop the waste overflow.

A spokesperson for the EPA said last night it did not hear about the matter until Tuesday. It also said Cork County Council has assured them that they will increase maintenance at the plant.

“We contacted the council immediately and have instructed them to respond directly to the complainant, informing them of the actions taken to rectify the situation by Apr 12 and to inform us also,” said the spokesperson.

“Cork County Council also advised that they are carrying out works to prevent recurrence including increased maintenance.”

Last year, anglers expressed fears that salmon and trout stocks at the nearby Kiltha river in Castlemartyr could be wiped out by pollution from the waste treatment plant.

The Womanagh Angling and Development Association in East Cork blamed Cork County Council.

At the time, Cork County Council confirmed there had been “periodic operational issues with the treatment plant” but said they had been remedied.

The council also said the plant would be closely examined with a view to “optimising operational parameters and improving the reliability of the treatment process and the quality of the final effluent”.