Government too late to deal with water quality problem

Date Published: {J}

As a long time member of Ireland’s longest established voluntary natural heritage organisations, An Taisce, I feel compelled to offer a few words on the hot, and now politically-driven, debate surrounding the issue of drinking water safety and the association of septic tanks.

This issue has lately been hijacked by various political interests and other activist groups, some of whom seem to be totally ignorant of the legal implications for Ireland. Whose Government, later this year, will have to appear in front of the European Court of Justice, to answer questions about their part in the ongoing polluting of Irelands waters?

This issue is undoubtedly being used by many as a convenient tool with which to beat up on our now, seemingly, unpopular government. But for many the issues are more serious than that!

Our Government has, because of European intervention, come too late in attempting to deal with an almost ‘out of control’ situation. This Minister for the Environment has been forced to take up and deal with many environmental issues which had been ignored, or long fingered by many previous governments over most of the past 35 years, since about the time rates on houses were dropped (1977).

How many meetings have I attended, where government Ministers and TDs from Galway West were in attendance, and where promises made to deal with the issue of pollution in Lough Corrib have been long forgotten?

Section 70 of the 2007 Water Services Act states that owners of treatment systems for wastewater treatment are responsible for ensuring those systems do not cause, or are not likely to cause, “a risk to human health or the environment, including to waters, the atmosphere, and, soil, plants or animals”.

In effect, people who live in houses that have septic tanks have been left to deal on their own with local authorities, developers and builders, who have get out clauses written into their contracts by which they assume no responsibility if a system does not work.

Currently, there are problems with insurances with respect to septic tank systems because, quite simply, it has never been set down on paper what standard of wastewater treatment a septic tank system is expected to achieve. Minister Hogan has still to set out what performance standards are agreed to be acceptable.

An Taisce has acquired a track record for commenting on the excessive number of houses that have been built in the rural countryside. It has always advised against the unrestricted nature of non-essential, non-local housing being built. Because of this, it has become unpopular, being despised by some local councillors of whom, it is often said, ‘they depend on gathering votes from those seeking their help when applying for planning permission’.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.