Sewage enters sea at Waterford beach as 50-year-old wastewater plant 'can't cope'

Bunmahon, Co Waterford. Waterford Green Party TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh said the area is an "amazing natural resource" and should be treated as such. Picture: Dan Linehan

Locals in Bunmahon, Co Waterford, say that appeals for Irish Water to upgrade their wastewater system have "fallen on deaf ears", despite one State agency stating it is an "imperative" that works are carried out.

Reports by the Environmental Protection Agency and Waterford City and County Council have flagged the poor quality of the water, with the EPA stating it is an "imperative" that upgrades are carried out by Irish Water.

Some 25 miles long, the River Mahon rises at the top of the Comeragh Mountains before entering the sea at Bunmahon, where thousands of holidaymakers flock every summer, but waste has been regularly overflowing out of its pipes for some time.

At summertime the wastewater treatment system serves a population four times larger than the one it was designed for when it was first built 50 years ago.

Among the local campaigners is Jamie Power, who is one of many parents who will not let their children bathe in the sea until the infrastructure improves.

"My voice is one of over 650 who signed a petition almost a year ago in support of wastewater treatment upgrade and improvements," Mr Power told the Irish Examiner.

They founded the Bunmahon Water Quality Initiative group, which has collated water quality monitoring data to support their claim that "we do not have a functioning public treatment of our sewage" in the village.

The issues that we have with direct discharge of untreated effluent to the Mahon River watercourse in Bunmahon have very real effects on the aquatic environment, ecology, and public health of the River Mahon," said Mr Power.

It received support from the EPA, which noted during a visit last March that the designated bathing area is "in the vicinity of the discharge(s)", adding that its three septic tanks lack stormwater and screening capacity.

This means objects such as papers and plastics cannot be removed, noted Waterford Green Party TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh, who said the treatment plant conducts the "most basic of primary treatments" and is no longer suitable.

He said the area is an "amazing natural resource" on Waterford's Copper Coast and should be treated as such.

Waste in the water at Buonmahon, Co Waterford. Picture: Eoghan Dalton

The EPA said the septic tanks provide "little treatment" to the wastewater, and assessment of how they can be optimised should be a "priority" for Irish Water.

It is imperative that the provision of a new wastewater treatment plant be prioritised for the Bunmahon agglomeration," it concluded.

While he said it was "ridiculous" that they have had to "fight this hard" for priority status, Mr Power said commitments have been received from Irish Water that it will engage more with locals over the coming weeks.

When contacted, a spokesman said Irish Water is working to ensure the current system operates as best as possible. However, he said recent investigations have "shown evidence of wash-throughs of items such as wipes and grease" in the water.

Irish Water said that its next investment cycle is planned for the end of 2023 and that Bunmahon is being considered, but that it is "not possible to confirm if Bunmahon will be included" in the final investment cycle plan.