UISCE Éireann must take all steps necessary to ensure discharges from the Ballydehob Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) are minimised, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The statement marks significant progress in the ongoing campaign to have the plant upgraded, following the recent publication of an investigation report by the EPA.
The plant was described last year by Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns as ‘little more than a basic septic tank’, who said it had caused a massive ongoing pollution problem in Ballydehob bay – part of a special area of conservation.
The EPA carried out the inspection of the plant in early December last year in response to a complaint submitted by local community groups, and has specified a list of actions that Uisce Éireann are required to undertake to ensure the plant meets current environmental regulations and the conditions of its licence.
The report states: ‘Uisce Éireann’s investigation of the complaint indicated that marine algae decomposition may be a factor and unrelated to the operation of the WWTP. There are however recurring breaches of emission limit values (elvs) for biochemical oxygen demand (bod), chemical oxygen demand (cod) and suspended solids (SS) reported for the Ballydehob plant.’
Uisce Éireann were required to complete upgrades to the plant under schedule c: specified improvement programme of their licence by the end of 2019. These upgrades are yet to be completed and, according to the EPA report, Uisce Éireann have advised that the upgrades are not confirmed for the cycle from 2025-2029.
The EPA have advised that Uisce Eireann ‘must take all steps necessary to ensure discharges from Ballydehob WWTP do not prevent the receiving waterbody from meeting its environmental objective, maintaining the Roaringwater bay Shellfish A classification and must provide the EPA with updates on how it will achieve this.’
The publication of the report comes following significant pressure from local community groups, Ballydonut Waste Water Action Group, Ballydehob Area Community Council and Ballydehob Tidy Towns Committee, who have been campaigning to have the plant upgraded to provide proper sewage treatment for Ballydehob.
The community groups have said that while the publication of the report is a significant step in the right direction towards securing a properly functioning treatment plant, ongoing political pressure will be essential if Uisce Éireann is to be prevailed upon to fulfil its legal obligations to the people of Ballydehob.
‘In this regard, all three of our constituency TDs have re-confirmed their commitment to pursuing the issue at ministerial level and Cllr Caroline Cronin continues to exert her influence on Uisce Éireann at every opportunity,’ they said in a statement.
