'Vast majority' of sites will no longer pump sewage into sea by 2025, says Irish Water boss

Niall Gleeson appeared at Oireachtas housing committee where he responded to the EPA's scathing report on wastewater plants

Niall Gleeson, managing director of Irish Water, appearing before the Oireachtas housing committee earlier today. Picture: Oireachtas TV

By 2025, "the vast majority" of sites where raw sewage is currently being pumped into the sea will have their discharges treated by Irish Water, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

A scathing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report into wastewater treatment in Ireland, and quoted by Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin during the committee, found that 19 urban areas, towns, and cities were in breach of the wastewater treatment directive. 

The report also found that 113 wastewater treatment plants were at risk of falling below adequate standards, with some discharging sewage into lakes and rivers. Mr Ó Broin said there are currently 52 public drinking water supplies at risk of "not meeting adequate standards".

Delays 'caused by planning issues and judicial reviews'

Irish Water managing director Niall Gleeson told the committee that processes to take action on the sites had been held up by planning issues and judicial reviews.

In 2019, there were 36 plants where raw sewage was being discharged into the sea.

"Work on 11 of the sites where raw sewage is being pumped into the sea will start this year," he said: 

We have reduced that number by 60% of the wastewater that was entering the seas and rivers, that has been reduced since 2014. We have made a lot of progress... once we get in there and get boots on the ground, we deliver very well and in general on time.

Mr Gleeson said recent pollution issues with Irish Water show there is an “urgent need for change”.

“The current service level agreement, where Irish Water works alongside 31 local authorities to deliver water services, is no longer fit for purpose," he said.

Serious incident at Gorey water plant

His comments come just weeks after 52 people fell ill in Gorey, Co Wexford, after a serious incident involving the water treatment plant there: 

As soon as illness is detected in the community we would contact the HSE, through formal structures. When the HSE contacted us in Wexford we reacted straight away.

An incident arose when a power failure and a chlorine pump failure resulted in water leaving the plant and entering the public supply without the appropriate level of disinfection between August 19 and August 24. The incident was not notified to the EPA and the HSE until August 26.

Second incident at Ballymore Eustace

A second incident, at Dublin's Ballymore Eustace plant, which serves about 877,000 consumers in the greater Dublin area, also saw unsafe water enter the public drinking water supply.

"Human error," was blamed for the incidents, and Fianna Fáil TD Joe Flaherty said he had concerns about understaffing at various treatment plants

"We are struggling to fill vacancies because people don't see a future career in water services," Mr Gleeson said.

Such incidents were described by Mr Gleeson as "quite rare".

Twenty audits to take two weeks

Richard Donoghue told the committee that one part of Limerick has had a boil water notice for 18 months and the lack of service agreement was holding up construction of 56 houses and a nursing home.

Irish Water and the EPA are to audit all the water treatment plants in Ireland, initially focusing on the 20 larget plants. Three of the 20 to be audited are based in Cork, at Inniscarra, the Lee Rd, and Glashaboy. It is expected that the 20 audits will take two weeks.