It’s claimed Clare is being left behind on a national level when it comes to the maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities.
A recent EPA inspection of Ennistymon Wastewater Treatment Plant has observed poor management and an absence of operational control of the sludge treatment process at the facility.
Two months on from the Ballymacraven fish kill and following a number of beach closures in the county, concerns have once again been raised over the substandard condition of wastewater treatment facilities in Clare.
An Environmental Protection Agency inspection of the Ennistymon plant which took place one week after the fish kill noted a number of operational issues.
Crucially, two picket fence thickeners which are a vital part of the sludge treatment process were found not to be in operation on the day of the audit.
The fish kill incident and subsequent EPA report have led to renewed calls from local representatives for the region’s wastewater treatment infrastructure to be meaningfully improved.
Ennistymon Fianna Fáil Councillor Shane Talty claims if you are lobbying for investment in wastewater treatment facilities in a predominantly rural county such as Clare, you are “fighting for crumbs”.
A €4.5million upgrade of the Ennistymon Water Treatment Plant is currently at construction stage and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
In a statement to Clare FM, Uisce Éireann has confirmed that it’s “committed to safeguarding public health and protecting the environment to enable communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure in the support of sustainable development”.
Lahinch-based Councillor Liam Grant of the Green Party insists the lackluster maintenance of wastewater treatment plants is “one of the biggest issues in Ireland” due to its knock-on effects on housing and construction.
You can listen to the full interview below.
