Ireland taken to task by European Commission over waste water treatment

Ireland has two months to respond to a formal notice by the European Commission over a failure to comply with adequate waste water treatment in sensitive areas. Stock picture

Ireland has two months to respond to a formal notice by the European Commission over a failure to comply with adequate waste water treatment in sensitive areas.

The notice comes after a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), published in October, described how more than half of the country’s waste water discharges are failing to meet EU standards.

The European Commission said on Wednesday it is opening an infringement procedure over Ireland’s lack of compliance.

It said the obligations are clearly set out in the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive — which aims to protect health and environment.

It said Ireland was not complying with the directive and that some discharges of waste water from urban areas are being carried out without adequate treatment.

The report looked at how urban waste water is being collected and treated before it is discharged. It said in eight areas with a population of more than 2,000 people, urban waste water was not being properly treated.

The report said: “Untreated wastewater can put human health at risk and pollute lakes, rivers, soil, coastal, and groundwater.

“In Ireland, in eight agglomerations with a population of more than 2,000 people, urban waste waters are not properly treated before being discharged.

“A further three agglomerations with a population of more than 10,000 are discharging wastewater in sensitive areas without the more stringent treatment as required by the Directive.”

The Water Framework Directive focuses on ensuring good qualitative and quantitative health of European water bodies, such as rivers and lakes.

It also aims to reduce and remove pollution which will allow enough water to support the population as well as wildlife as part of the European Green Deal.

The notice said: “Despite some progress, six countries still fail to comply with their obligations under either or both Directives.”

Ireland now has two months to respond and address the shortcomings raised by the Commission.

The Commission said, in the absence of a satisfactory response, it may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.

Ireland is also one of six countries being referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union — along with Bulgaria, Spain, Malta, Portugal, and Slovakia — for failure to finalise revising river basin management plans, as required under the Water Framework Directive.

Under the Water Framework Directive, EU members must update and report their river basin management plans every six years.

In October, the Irish Examiner reported how raw sewage from the equivalent of 54,000 people in 26 towns and villages is still discharged into the environment every day in Ireland.

The EPA said Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) has not managed to tackle pollution at some of the most significantly impacted rivers, estuaries, lakes, and coastal waters. It will take a multibillion-euro investment to bring all wastewater treatment systems up to standard and at least two decades to complete, the EPA warned.

EPA director Tom Ryan said at the time: “While it is encouraging to see continued progress in stopping the unacceptable practice of discharging raw sewage into our environment, wastewater remains a significant pressure on Ireland’s waterways and is adversely impacting water quality.”