Banagher estate still suffering from sewage discharge problem

A HOUSING ESTATE in Banagher is still suffering from a sewage discharge problem despite the issue being highlighted during Council meetings over the last couple of years.
The problem in Portavolla Housing Estate, which has 44 houses, has been described as “disgusting” and it occurs after prolonged periods of rain.
“Unfortunately the problem in Portavolla hasn't been fixed,” Cllr Clare Claffey told the Midland Tribune. “The Council is trying to find a long term solution but unfortunately every time there's heavy rain the sewage pipes fill with water which pushes the sewage up onto the footpath and the road.”
She said the most recent occurrence of the problem happened in October during a prolonged, multi-day period of rain. “Thankfully,” Cllr Claffey commented, “the Council staff were quick at cleaning it up.”
She added that until a long term solution is found this will remain a recurring problem.
Area Engineer John Mitchell told the Tribune that the Council has carried out some works not far from the estate in recent months, which, while not solving the Portavolla problem, might ease it a bit.
“We carried out a small scheme on Harbour Road. This scheme has now separated some of the surface water from the combined system of surface water and foul sewage. There had been a flooding problem in the Harbour Road / Cuba Cottages area. The residents are very happy with the work because it will solve the flooding issue there.”
One theory trying to explain Portavolla's problem is that the estate is located at the bottom of the hill in the town which means that it is more susceptible to flooding because the rainwater is flowing down the hill towards it.
When the sewage discharge problem in Portavolla was raised in February 2020 during a Council meeting the issue was described as being 'very serious'; and the Area Engineer and his staff had attended the scene. Cllr Claffey requested that an emergency plan be put in place. An emergency meeting of Birr MD was also called. However, despite all of this, the problem remains unresolved.
Mary Hussey of the County Council's Environment Section told the councillors during that February 2020 period that the Council carried out a survey of the area and identified the source of the problem which was an inefficient interaction between the surface water network and the sewage network. “We have to separate the two systems,” Ms Hussey said, “the surface water network and the sewage network, from one another. There is funding in place to do that and a will to tackle the problem.”
During periods when the Shannon seriously flooded the housing estate was vulnerable. In December 2016, 36 houses had to be evacuated because of flooding. This problem was tackled by the government in 2017 when a 470 metre long clay embankment (called a Bund) was constructed between the river and the estate.