Septic Tanks

Kilronan Cottages Agglomeration / A0522-01

adminLeave a comment

https://leap.epa.ie/licence-profile/A0522

Site Visit Details

Site Visit Date

03/05/2017 Site Visit

Title

Kilronan Cottages: Reactive Non-Enfocement Plan, Complaint follow up

Visit Announced by EPA?

Yes

Sample Taken?

No

Site Visit Compliant?

No

Report Issued Date

30/05/2017

Visit Type

Complaint follow-up

Odour Assessment Carried Out?

Odour Assessment Compliant?

N/A

Summary

This was an announced enforcement visit, having regard to complaints received by the EPA.

The Certificate of Authorisation issued to Irish Water on the 14th of October 2014, required the installation of an integrated Constructed Wetland as per Condition 3.3. To date there has been no progress in addressing Condition 3.3 of the Certificate A0522-01 or applying to the EPA for an amendment to the Certificate in this regard. The EPA noted during the visit that an ICW had not been installed at the site, as per Condition 3 of the Certificate of Authorisation.

Following the site visit carried out on the 3rd of May 2017, the EPA opened a Compliance Investigation (Ref: CI001469) seeking proposals in relation to the treatment system and sewer network.

Irish Water is reminded of its obligation to comply with all conditions of the Certificate of Authorisation (A0522-01) and respond to CI actions as they are raised.

Click to access 5abec0af-7a15-4db1-9874-af794b545313.pdf

Click to access 46b0c8e8-13f3-49ae-9272-155391131b9b.pdf

2022

https://leap.epa.ie/licence-profile/A0522/compliance/sitevisit/efa11916-e308-ed11-a346-0050568a2d1a

The EPA carried out an inspection of the Kilronan Cottages agglomeration following the completion of remediation works to the percolation area in March 2022 and having regard to recent odour complaints. 

The EPA Inspector carried out an odour assessment in the environs of Kilronan Cottages on 20/07/2022. No odours associated with the activities at Kilronan Cottages Certificate of Authorisation Reg No. A0522 were detected by the inspector off site on the day. The assessment was followed by a site visit to the septic tank and the newly installed biofilter and percolation area.

The EPA inspectors noted the remediation works completed on site including the newly installed pump chamber and biofilter and percolation area. Preliminarily monitoring results indicate improved effluent quality from April to June 2022.

The EPA has an open compliance investigation file in relation to the waste water treatment system for Kilronan Cottages. Irish Water shall continue to monitor the effectiveness of the newly installed biofilter and percolation unit report through Compliance Investigation CI001469 as appropriate. The next compliance investigation action update (CI action A113903) is due on the 30/09/2022.

AIE Request: mapping national septic tank inspections

adminLeave a comment

Under the AIE Regs to request the following dataset of geographic locations of national septic tank inspections


As per EPA website
https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/api/records/8a5209fe-554e-4f09-952c-2e596f813292

The following link (as above) is a dataset that “represents the site locations of Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems where inspections have been carried out under the National Inspection Plan.

These locations have been captured by Local Authority Inspectors as part of the process of logging inspection details within the Domestic Waste Water Application. My understanding is the dataset is used by EPA to create various pdf reports but the actual GIS data does not appear to be in the public domain.


Statement on the dataset suggests that the locations in this dataset are captured using an integrated map part within the Domestic Waste Water Application whereby the Inspector selects the location on the map. Alternatively, the Inspector can enter the coordinates manually at which point the application then displays the location on the map for verification.

Decision-LetterDownload

Download data here:

DWWTS_SiteLocations-RedactedDownload

Sample data

Data refused

Co-ordinates of the locations of the inspections

Townland where inspection took place

Waste Water Disposal ID (*unclear what this is)

System Design PE (*unclear what this is)

Shared System (*unclear what this is)

Total Contributing PE

Number Linked Properties

Shape GIS Details

EPA grounds for refusal:

The factors in favour of withholding this information are:
• Right to privacy
• Right to privacy of third parties
• Public Interest in protecting the ability of public bodies to carry out their functions and to be able to communicate effectively.

Request for Internal Review: based on the following submissions

  • environmental data should be published by default, particularly locations of pollution inspections
  • public interest in an open and transparent national septic tank inspection regime
  • adjoining properties have a right to know, as could adversely impact their lands, water supplies, farm payments etc
  • location of environmental hazards is absolutely core to AIE process (threats to human health and safety)
  • EPA approach to redacting environmental enforcement data undermines the local authority process of enforcement inspections

Request internal review: 25/2/22

AIE: Site locations of domestic waste water inspections

adminLeave a comment

Under the AIE Regs to request the following dataset of geographic locations of national septic tank inspections

As per EPA website

https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/api/records/8a5209fe-554e-4f09-952c-2e596f813292

The following link (as above) is a dataset that “represents the site locations of Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems where inspections have been carried out under the National Inspection Plan.

These locations have been captured by Local Authority Inspectors as part of the process of logging inspection details within the Domestic Waste Water Application

The dataset is used by EPA to create various pdf reports but the actual GIS data does not appear to be in the public domain

Statement on the dataset suggests that the locations in this dataset are captured using an integrated map part within the Domestic Waste Water Application whereby the Inspector selects the location on the map. Alternatively, the Inspector can enter the coordinates manually at which point the application then displays the location on the map for verification.

Please provide the data in the GIS format as collected

Note this is not a request for the inspection plans themselves, the annual reports or a breakout by Local Authority areas. It is a request for the mapping data of the inspections

If the dataset includes additional non-confidential fields along with the inspection locations (like the date of the inspection) please include in the file

AIE Request, (24/3/22)

Domestic Waste Water Application: Module in EPAs EDEN System

adminLeave a comment

This Module is the system used by local authority inspectors to log inspected domestic waste water inspections (septic tanks)

This dataset represents the site locations of Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems where inspections have been carried out under the National Inspection Plan.

https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/api/records/8a5209fe-554e-4f09-952c-2e596f813292

These locations have been captured by Local Authority Inspectors as part of the process of logging inspection details within the Domestic Waste Water Application

The locations in this dataset are captured using an integrated map part within the Domestic Waste Water Application whereby the Inspector selects the location on the map. Alternatively, the Inspector can enter the coordinates manually at which point the application then displays the location on the map for verification.

There are a number of datasets available as decision support tools to assist with the implementation of the National Inspection Plan 2018 – 2021 here:

https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/search?keyword=domestic%20waste%20water

Groody Priority Area for Action Desktop Report

adminLeave a comment

LAWPRO

Feb 2020

The Groody river flows into the lower Shannon. The area includes part of the Ballyneety groundwater body, which is the drinking water supply for Caherconlish.

Agriculture and diffuse urban runoff: phosphate, ammonia and organic pollution

Diffuse urban pressures are mainly caused by misconnections, leaking sewers and runoff from paved and unpaved areas.

Channelisation and drainage has taken place that have resulted in loss of river habitat and changes to the flow regime.

Septic tanks in the upper reaches of this river are inadequate

Hydromorphology example:

groody-paa-desk-study-f02Download

Background Note from Water Advisory Unit (part of Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage) on Domestic Septic Tanks

adminLeave a comment

On 29 October 2009, the European Court of Justice ruled against Ireland in relation to the treatment of domestic waste waters from septic tanks and other on-site wastewater treatment systems. 

The Court ruled that, with the exception of bye-laws in County Cavan, Irish legislation did not transpose Articles 4 and 8 of Directive 75/442/EEC (the Waste Directive) insofar as domestic waste waters from such on-site treatment systems are concerned.

The Court ruled that the existing legislation only partially provided the protections required by the Directive in relation to on-site waste-water treatment systems. Specifically, the Court highlighted the absence of an appropriate system of inspection for such systems.

A response setting out Ireland’s proposed legislative response issued to the Commission in December 2009.  Following the ruling the Department worked closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and with officials from a number of local authorities on developing proposals to address the ruling and provide for a system of inspection.

The issues raised from the 2009 European Court of Justice ruling have since been addressed by various pieces of legislation. These include the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012, Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems Regulations (e.g. SI 220 of 2012 and SI 223 of 2012), and the introduction of the National Inspection Plan for Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems to support these regulations.  Regulations can be found on the Irish Statute book website at https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/

Current details regarding Domestic waste water treatment systems (septic tanks) can be found on the Rural Water section of the Department’s website at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/6cc1e-domestic-waste-water-treatment-systems-septic-tanks/

In terms of Ireland’s obligations, the EU Water Framework Directive, which was adopted in October 2000, is now the relevant piece of environmental legislation requiring implementation to protect our waters and it lays down very detailed requirements for the management and improvement of water quality.

These include the requirement that member states must put a programme of measures in place to protect and, where necessary, restore to at least good status all bodies of surface water and groundwater within prescribed timeframes.

To implement this requirement, member states are required to prepare “River Basin Management Plans” every 6 years. These plans must, amongst other requirements, set out the environmental improvements that will be delivered during the river basin planning cycle in question and describe the programme of measures that will be implemented to meet the objectives set out in the plan.

Details relating to the Water Framework Directive are available on the Water Advisory Units section on the Department’s website at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/f7c76-water-framework-directive/

Details of the most recent plan can be found at:https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/429a79-river-basin-management-plan-2018-2021/ and details of public consultation on the draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027 can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/draftRBMP

POMs (Programmne of Measures) agreed on septic tanks

adminLeave a comment

Ireland has EU obligations in relation to water pollution from septic tanks

Is there any research on the national and catchment level impact of septic tanks ?

There was a POMs (Programmne of Measures) agreed after a court case that set out what Ireland is required to do to rectify the septic tank failings identified in the proceedings ?

Extract from presentation entitled

Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems: Expansion of Grant Scheme
Colin Byrne, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government

Full presentation is here:

colin-byrne-domestic-waste-water-treatment-systems-expansion-of-grant-schemeDownload