Untreated sewage is still being pumped into our water at five locations in Clare.
A new Environmental Protection Agency report found waste water treatment in over a quarter of Ireland’s large towns and cities is below public health standards.
The 2016 Urban Waste Water Treatment Report identifies nine areas in Clare where improvements are required to resolve environmental priorities
Ballyvaughan, Clarecastle, Kilkee, Kilrush and Liscannor are among 44 areas where untreated sewage is being discharged directly into the environment each day.
It also finds that Ennis, Shannon and Lahinch are among 50 large towns that sewage treatment is failing to prevent pollution and protect public health.
Meanwhile, a stream in Kilmihil has been identified as an area where waste water discharges are identified as the sole pressure which puts it at risk of not meeting their environmental objectives.
The report follows a difficult summer in the west of the county, where an electrical fault at a wastewater pumping station in Kilkee led to the closure of the town’s beach at peak tourist season.
The EPA says major investment is needed in our water treatment facilities if Irish seas, rivers and lakes are to meet environmental standards.
