Sewage enters sea at 44 sites around Ireland

Raw sewage is directly discharged into the sea at 44 locations around the country, Irish Water said yesterday as it progressed plans to halt the flow of untreated wastewater at a beach centre in east Cork.

Contracts were signed for the provision of a €12.5m wastewater treatment plant in Youghal.

The seaside town’s Front Strand, formerly a blue flag beach, had earlier this year been one of seven beaches rated ‘poor’ in a bathing water quality report conducted by the Environment Protection Agency.

However, the readings are based on analysis from 2010 to 2014. And readings, in the meantime, at the Front Strand in June had shown excellent water quality.

Meanwhile, the new treatment plant is part of a two-pronged main drainage scheme for the town which also includes a new sewerage network, nearing completion. The utility company said when upgrading of the sewer network had been completed, all sewage in the town would be directed into the new scheme. The treated effluent would then be “safely discharged” into the Blackwater Estuary off Ferry Point.

Irish Water says the huge investment and completion of the scheme will improve water quality on the Front Strand consistently and will have an extremely positive impact on Youghal’s economic growth and the tourism sector, including enhanced protection of the town’s other bathing water sites at Claycastle and the blue flag Redbarn.

A contract to complete the plant was signed with EPS and Sorensen Civil Engineering. Mark Murray of Irish Water said: “Youghal is a beautiful seaside town and a popular tourist destination. This project will improve water quality for the benefit of tourists and locals and allow for continued growth and development.”

Meanwhile, Irish Water said it had taken no action, or had anyone working on its behalf, to “break” sewage outfall pipes at Liscannor, Co Clare.

The utility company said: “An outfall pipe at this location became partially blocked in recent weeks from debris and stones, which caused an overflow from a manhole cover adjacent to the Old Boathouse at the pier. The pipe was unblocked on August 6 and again on August 12 and the area was jetted and washed down on August 13.

“The most recent water quality results, taken on August 10 at Lahinch, were well within the required limits for bathing water quality and a further sample collected on August 13 was also well within allowable limits for E-coli bacteria.”