Water Pollution and Waste Water Treatment
Full Transcript: This is a welcome opportunity to discuss another in a series of excellent reports from the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, detailing our water quality. The latest is titled, Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2022. Broadly-speaking, the EPA has been doing an excellent job in assessing the quality of water in our rivers, lakes, streams, groundwater and seawater, and even the water in our taps, which, by extension, finds its way into our bodies. The EPA report is focused on urban wastewater treatment.
It is shocking that we are still not reaching the standards of the urban wastewater treatment directive, which we are supposed to have been complying with for the past 30 years. Raw sewage from the equivalent of 54,000 people is still being discharged in 26 towns and villages because these areas are not connected with treatment plants. The factoid that jumps out from the report is that the volume of raw sewage discharged could fill three Olympic-size swimming pools a day. That is not a place I would necessarily like to swim.
We also have to acknowledge that many so-called “primary” treatment plants are not living up to their name. In fact, the EPA states that over half of Ireland’s wastewater discharges are not meeting EU standards for protecting the environment. If the Minister doubts that, he can come down to Bunmahon in Waterford where, mar dhea, we have a primary treatment plant that is supposedly treating the sewage. If he were to check the outlet pipe there, he would not find it a pleasant experience. It is certainly not doing the job it needs to do.
The report also identifies an issue with storm water. Unfortunately, storm-type weather will become more prevalent and more common. At the end of 2022, Uisce Éireann had assessed 1,735 of its storm water overflow structures. There were no assessments completed during 2022. I do not know the reason for that. Over 400 of the overflows assessed did not meet the national standards and require improvement. We could point to Blackrock in Dublin if we were looking for an example of a place which is regularly overwhelmed by storm flow. I would not have to travel outside of Tramore. In fact, at the bottom of my road, the inadequate treatment of storm water often results in an overflow that discharges directly beside the wall of Tramore pier. It is not a pleasant sight.
The EPA report identifies key priorities and challenges. We have to comply with EU treatment standards. We have to eliminate raw sewage discharges. It is amazing, in this day and age, that I need to utter such a sentence. We must improve our collecting systems, that is, sewers, prevent pollution of our inland and coastal waters and protect vulnerable habitats.
The report includes a summary of key recommendations. The EPA recommends that we resolve the environmental issues for each priority area set out in the report; operate all treatment systems effectively to get the best from them, minimise breakdowns and prevent any deterioration in performance; and complete the overdue impact assessments for shellfish waters. The latter would affect Dungarvan in my constituency.
What plans does the Government have to respond to this and other excellent reports from the EPA?
Deputy Neale Richmond
I will pass on the Deputy’s frustrations to the relevant Ministers in the relevant Department. Having been that soldier for long enough, I know how it feels. I will do my best to give the reply justice.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I agree with him that this is an excellent report. It arrived on my desk because it relates directly to my role in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and impacts on many commercial activities and the health and well-being of many employees throughout the country.
Since 1 January 2014, Uisce Éireann has had statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Uisce Éireann’s primary function is to provide clean safe drinking water to customers and to treat and return wastewater safely to the environment. In turn, the Environmental Protection Agency holds Uisce Éireann to account for its environmental performance. The EPA is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the necessary quality standards for the collection and treatment of wastewater.
As part of budget 2024, secured funding of over €1.6 billion is being allocated to Uisce Éireann to support water services. The national development plan commits to almost €6 billion capital investment to be undertaken by Uisce Éireann in the period from 2021 to 2025, of which over €4.5 billion will be voted Exchequer funding in respect of domestic wastewater services. This overall investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services.
Many serious challenges remain, which will take significant investment to deliver infrastructure to ensure compliance with the requirements of the urban wastewater treatment directive. The EPA report notes that there is a long and complex programme of work ahead to deliver a wastewater service that fully meets the required standards.
Uisce Éireann’s investment will deliver significant improvements in our public water and wastewater services, support improved water supplies across Ireland, including rural areas, and support a range of programmes delivering improved water quality in our rivers, lakes and marine area, such as Blackrock and, indeed, Tramore. It is key to addressing Ireland’s shortcomings in water and wastewater infrastructure, including compliance with the urban wastewater treatment directive.
Over 90% of Ireland’s public wastewater plants are compliant with the urban wastewater treatment directive. The vast majority of the total wastewater load that is not yet in compliance with the directive requirements comes from one treatment area, the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant serving Dublin and the surrounding area. Uisce Éireann is currently investing over €500 million in the staged upgrading of the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant. This will deliver the capacity to treat the wastewater for a population equivalent of 2.4 million while achieving the standards of the urban wastewater treatment directive by 2025. Uisce Éireann also has plans in place to address any outstanding issues at the remaining non-compliant plants.
Wastewater has been identified by the EPA as a significant pollution pressure on almost 200 water bodies. However, wastewater is not the only pollution pressure on many of these water bodies. Other pressures include agriculture and forestry. Thirty-nine of these have been identified by the EPA as areas where Uisce Éireann should prioritise its work. Upgrades to treatment infrastructure at ten of the priority areas are either ongoing or due to begin within the next two years. The treatment plant at one priority area was upgraded recently and monitoring is being carried out to assess if the upgrade has resolved the risk of pollution. Uisce Éireann is in the preliminary stages of designing action plans to resolve the risk of pollution at the remaining 28 areas.
There are an estimated 2,447 storm water overflows on our wastewater collection system. By the end of 2022, Uisce Éireann had assessed almost three quarters of these against national standards, while monitoring equipment had been installed on 888 overflow outlets. This work will help our urban areas in adapting to a changing climate. However, these projects are complex, particularly in cities, and will take considerably longer to address.
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh
Notwithstanding my initial frustration, I recognise that the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, is well placed to understand the imperative for action, in particular, on urban wastewater.
I often use the analogy of high blood pressure as opposed to having your front teeth knocked out. Someone who has their front teeth knocked out will act on it straightaway because everybody can see it. However, people will live with high blood pressure for years and, eventually, it is what will kill them. It is very similar with our infrastructure investment. If someone has a pothole in front of their house, they will get it filled straightaway, if they know a politician and can get them on the end of the phone. However, critical infrastructure, such as our grid and water infrastructure, is far less visible, and because it is far less visible, the temptation is there not to invest in it in the same way. Ultimately, however, it is what will kill the economy. The Minister of State will be aware that when businesses, particularly large ones, are getting established in the economy, they look for a reliable supply of electricity and clean water. It is imperative, therefore, that we tackle this issue.
My concern is that the report, although excellent, only looks at urban wastewater treatment. I fear we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg here. I questioned representatives of Uisce Éireann at a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts earlier. I asked about the number of septic tanks being inspected by the local authorities. The percentage is minuscule. That feeds into the issue of private wells, for which the responsibility lies on the well owner. There is no registration or reporting and, therefore, we do not have a good picture of what is happening in these private water supplies.
I am glad that the Minister of State referenced that this is not the only pressure. Agriculture is a particular pressure. I know this was discussed with the EPA at a recent meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine in what was quite a fractious environment. It is imperative that we use an evidence base when we are formulating policy. This policy should certainly be towards investment in this infrastructure for now and for the future.
Deputy Neale Richmond
When it came to choosing a career in politics, I do not know if blood pressure or my front teeth were more at risk but, hopefully, neither of them are. I am sure we share this sentiment across the House. I appreciate the clarity and sincerity the Deputy brought to this debate. Being a Minister of State with responsibility for business, I know this is key for attracting inward investment and making sure we have clean, safe and reliable water, not just for personal use but also for commercial use, particularly in our growing industries.
I assure the Deputy that the programme for Government commits to funding Uisce Éireann’s capital investment plan for drinking and wastewater infrastructure on a multi-annual basis. Delivery of a funding package is committed to in Project Ireland 2040. The National Development Plan 2021-2030, published on 4 October 2021, commits to almost €6 billion capital investment to be undertaken by Uisce Éireann from 2021 to 2025. Over €4.5 billion of this will be Voted Exchequer funding in respect of domestic water services, which are also referenced under the Housing for All plan.
Uisce Éireann is well aware of its responsibilities to the House, the Government, the Exchequer and, more importantly, the people of Ireland. I will take the Deputy’s well-stated and well-elucidated remarks back to the relevant Ministers and will continue, as a Minister of State with responsibility for business, to keep the pressure on to make sure that this capital investment does not fall by the wayside. Regardless of any economic ups or downs, what is committed in Project Ireland 2040 has to be delivered.
