Major Upgrades Needed to Bring Irish Wastewater Treatment Plants to EU Standards for Environmental Protection

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Wastewater Treatment in 2023 report has highlighted the progress that has been made in the treatment of wastewater since the start of 2023. Despite the progress that has been made in the treatment of wastewater, the EPA has outlined that more needs to be done to prevent wastewater from entering rivers, lakes and coastal waters.  

Deficient wastewater treatment plants must be brought up to required standards for the continued protection of the environment. Ten wastewater treatment plants at Irish towns and cities failed to meet the European Union’s standards for environmental protection. According to Uisce Eireann, updating treatment plants to modern standards could take up to twenty years and substantial investments.  

At the launch of the report, Dr. Tom Ryan, Director of the Environmental Protection Agency said: 

 “Investment has resulted in stopping raw sewage discharges during the past year from 13 towns and villages that were priority areas highlighted by the EPA. This demonstrates that such investment protects our environment and benefits our local communities. The much-needed upgrade of Ireland’s largest treatment plant at Ringsend in Dublin, treating over 40 per cent of all national wastewaters, is now well advanced, and this is to be welcomed. However, wastewater discharges continue to be a significant pressure on water quality in many of our rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters. Without an ambitious and sustained investment programme to build out our wastewater treatment infrastructure it could take over two decades to achieve the required standards to protect the environment. 

At an operational level, Uisce Éireann’s slow progress in designing and delivering the solutions needed at the waters most affected by wastewater discharges are prolonging impacts on water quality. Uisce Éireann must prioritise the prompt delivery of these essential works.” 

Noel Byrne, Environmental Protection Agency Programme Manager added: 

 “Wastewater discharge licences issued by the EPA set out the treatment standards needed to prevent pollution by wastewater discharges and protect our rivers and coastal waters. It is unacceptable that over half of licensed treatment plants do not always meet these standards, with issues ranging from short term breaches of treatment standards up to continuous discharges of raw sewage. The short term breaches should be resolved through effective management and maintenance of equipment. Uisce Éireann must address infrastructural deficits at the priority areas highlighted by the EPA during its 2025 to 2029 investment cycle. This will help deliver significant environmental benefits and protect water quality.” 

The full Urban Wastewater Treatment in 2023 report is available to download here