EPA Report highlights need for significant and sustained investment in wastewater treatment

• Uisce Éireann making strong progress in addressing priority issues following decades of under-investment
• Raw sewage discharges now eliminated in 41 of 50 areas (82%)
• 94% of wastewater treatment plants compliant with Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
• 136 new wastewater treatment plants built or upgraded since 2014
• Multi-billion euro investment required over many decades to achieve necessary standards
   

Uisce Éireann acknowledges and supports the EPA’s comments that wastewater infrastructure will require significant and sustained national investment in the years to come to bring all treatment systems up to the necessary standards.

Ending raw sewage discharges and increasing compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive remain priorities for Uisce Éireann as the latest EPA wastewater Report highlights the significant progress being made in addressing decades of under-investment in wastewater infrastructure.

In the first River Basin Management Plan, prior to the establishment of Irish Water, urban wastewater was identified as the second most dominant pressure on receiving waters; this has now reduced to the fourth which is the largest sectoral achievement and we have plans to continue this downward trend in our next investment cycle.

Since 2014, the utility has ended the discharge of raw sewage in 82% of the agglomerations where this was occurring. 41 out of the original 50 locations identified as discharging raw sewage nationally now have new wastewater infrastructure in place or have projects under construction. This includes 13 completed in 2023 and to date in 2024.*

The EPA report acknowledges the good progress made in this area. It highlights the Arklow wastewater treatment plant as an example of this progress. The €139 million Arklow Sewerage Scheme is nearing completion. Works to the sewer network are complete and Uisce Éireann has recently begun the testing of the new Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant is expected to be fully operational by 2025.

Michael Tinsley, Uisce Éireann’s Senior Wastewater Delivery Manager commented, “Our once-in-a-generation plan to eliminate raw sewage discharges is on track to bring what can only be described as a life-changing improvement to communities around Ireland. Cleaner waters, greater capacity for development and an enhanced environment are just some of the benefits these projects have delivered. We look forward to continuing the excellent progress being made to date, while acknowledging that delays remain in some areas, particularly in relation to legal challenges to planning and other consents, which are largely outside Uisce Éireann’s control.”

2023 also saw further strong progress in compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. At the end of the year, compliance with the directive stood at 94% of treatment plants - the highest level achieved to date This has been achieved through identifying and targeting investment to the treatment plants with the greatest environmental impact.

Uisce Éireann is currently carrying out a €550 million upgrade at the Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant – which treats 40% of the country’s wastewater. This will enable it to treat the increasing volumes of wastewater arriving at the plant to the required standard. The project will deliver, on a phased basis, the capacity to treat the wastewater for a population equivalent of 2.4 million while achieving the standards of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. When Ringsend comes into compliance with the Directive, it is expected that more than 95 per cent of wastewater generated in Ireland’s large urban areas will be treated to the required standards.

Uisce Eireann completed construction of the infrastructure in Ringsend to treat the wastewater for a population equivalent of 2.1 million at the end of 2023. Following a period of testing and commissioning the upgraded assets are operational and the EPA notes that this is already improving effluent quality.

While notable progress has been made in many areas, as the EPA acknowledges, challenges remain particularly in relation to the condition of parts of the sewer network and collection systems. Many of these issues are as a result of under-investment in these networks over many decades. There are over 26,000 km of public sewers in Ireland and an estimated 2,600 documented storm water overflows (SWOs). These SWOs are an integral part of any wastewater network and are necessary to prevent flooding of homes and public areas during times of extreme rainfall. Uisce Éireann is carrying out assessments of all these SWOs, the outcome of which will inform investment decisions and prioritisation through future investment cycles.

Milestones reached in 2023 included the completion of important sewer network upgrade projects in Roscommon and Mallow, with construction now underway on the Athlone Sewerage Scheme.

Michael Tinsley noted: “Uisce Éireann invested over €436 million in wastewater infrastructure in 2023 but will require a multi-million euro investment programme over many investment cycles to continue to improve infrastructure and to keep pace with the increased demand for new serviced land needed for housing, commercial developments and industry. Ireland’s growing population and industrial activity, combined with the challenges being presented by climate change, must also be factored in when considering long-term investment requirements and capital investment plans.

“Sustainable development cannot happen without appropriate water services infrastructure. Uisce Éireann requires the continued support of Government and all stakeholders and it is imperative that Uisce Éireann is given appropriate consideration in the legislation at planning, policy and project level as currently large infrastructure projects can take over 10 years to deliver due to the time required to secure planning and other consents.” However he added, “once Uisce Éireann breaks ground we have a proven track record of delivering projects on time. We will continue to work with Government and our regulators, including the EPA and CRU, to ensure we can rise to the challenge to delivering transformative wastewater services to enable communities to thrive.”