Nearly one-third of Ireland’s largest towns and cities have failed to comply with standards set to prevent pollution and protect public health, according to a new report.
50 of the country’s 185 largest populated areas failed to meet the standards, with the sewage from the equivalent of 120,000 people entering the environment untreated each day.
44 areas across Ireland have that untreated sewage entering the water, with nearly half of these accounted for by County Cork and County Donegal alone.
Additionally, in the new report released by the Environmental Protection Agency this week, there are four areas where waste water has contributed to the poor quality bathing water, including the beaches at Merrion Strand and Loughshinny Beach.
Gerard O’Leary, the Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, had this to say about the report:
“Wastewater from over half our population failed to meet environmental standards. For many years Ireland failed to address the deficiencies in wastewater treatment. Substantial and sustained investment is now required to protect our valuable waterways and protect public health.”
Darragh Page, the Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, said:
“Ireland’s environment is at risk because waste water is not treated to the necessary standards, even though the final deadline to meet these standards was 2005. New or upgraded treatment systems are required in some areas. In other areas, there is already sufficient treatment capacity in place, but the management of the treatment systems needs to improve.”
The full report can be read here.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
