55% of wastewater plants are sub-standard, says North Tipp Shannon Alliance Director
‘We are asking for action now, before fines from Europe arrive and before more of the Shannon is lost’
THE Director of Shannon Alliance, Councillor Seamus Morris (of Nenagh Municipal District), has said this week that a large number of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Ireland are sub-standard, as a result of which the country is facing EU water quality fines.
Cllr Morris said the River Shannon Environmental Alliance (RSEPA) was demanding an immediate end to “light touch enforcement” after the latest EPA report showed that 55% of WWTPs run by Uisce Éireann fail to meet the required standards.
With Ireland facing possible European Court of Justice (ECJ) fines of up to €99,000 a day over the state of its river water quality, the Alliance says the report proves the current approach is not working.
"These findings are shocking, and they are not a surprise," commented Cllr Morris. “More than half of these plants are failing, and the State's response has been gentle encouragement. That is regulatory paralysis, and our rivers are paying for it."
The Alliance says the State is in breach of Article 4 of the EU Water Framework Directive, which obliges it to prevent deterioration of surface water bodies and to achieve good status.
“This is legally binding EU law, not an aspiration," said Cllr Morris. "The Shannon catchment cannot wait while the State drifts towards the European Court."
The Shannon Alliance is calling on the Minister to act immediately, in a number of different ways. It wants the Minister to “massively increase the fines for river pollution. Current penalties are paltry and do not deter. Fines must be large enough that compliance is cheaper than pollution. A fine that is cheaper than a repair bill is just a licence fee. Penalties must hurt, whoever the polluter is."
It wants the Minister to grant Inland Fisheries Ireland direct sampling powers. “Legislation must give Inland Fisheries Ireland unhindered, immediate authority to sample any licensed discharge, including Uisce Éireann WWTPs, or any agricultural discharge pipe during an active pollution incident. Evidence disappears within hours. Inspectors must be able to act the moment a pollution event happens, not after permission is negotiated."
The Alliance wants the government to mandate real-time monitoring, which means that all high-risk discharge facilities would be required to fund and install continuous, real-time water quality telemetry, open to the public and State agencies. "Communities have a right to know what is going into their river as it happens," remarked Cllr Morris "Transparency is the best enforcement tool there is."
The group also wants the government to review nitrates derogation and discharge licensing. “Surface water discharge licensing must be tightened in line with the principles of the Water Framework Directive,” it says, “and the nitrates derogation reviewed. The population equivalent threshold for plants should fall from 10,000 PE to 1,000 PE in nutrient-sensitive rivers. Small plants discharging into sensitive rivers add up to a major pollution load. The threshold must reflect the river's fragility, not administrative convenience.” PE stands for Population Equivalent. It is a standard technical unit used to measure the organic, biodegradable load of wastewater. 1 PE is the average organic load produced by one person in one day. Under the current regulations, WWTPs serving an area above 10,000 PE must implement more stringent treatment measures.
In conclusion, the RSEPA Director commented that the Minister “has the power to change this. We are asking for action now, before fines from Europe arrive and before more of the Shannon is lost."