EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 Domestic Wastewater Treatment The high failure rate encountered in septic tank inspections by local authorities (as high as 48% in 2016) indicates that significant improvements are required to reduce pollution from these systems. Domestic wastewater treatment systems used by rural householders to treat sewage are a significant pressure for 11 per cent of at-risk water bodies. There are nearly 500,000 septic tank systems nationally serving a population equivalent of 1.4 million people. In 2017 and 2018, as part of the National Inspection Plan, 2371 septic tank inspections were carried out by local authorities in areas that are considered to be at greater risk of pollution from these systems (see Chapter 14). Nearly half (1135) of the septic tanks inspected failed to meet the required standard (EPA, 2019b), indicating that significant improvements are required to reduce pollution from these systems. The EPA has advised householders that they should ensure that their systems are properly built and maintained, fix systems that fail inspections (nearly one-third of systems that had previously failed inspection remain unfixed) and ensure that their sewage does not pollute their well. Local authorities must continue to complete their inspections under the National Inspection Plan and have an effective enforcement system in place to ensure that householders fix systems that fail inspection. A grant scheme has been in place since 2013 to support householders to undertake remedial work on septic tanks that fail inspection under the National Inspection Plan. The scheme has been expanded to support the water quality objectives set out in the RBMP. This includes households with defective septic tanks located within high status objective catchment areas and households in PAAs where LAWPRO teams have identified their systems through their catchment assessments as potential pollution sources. Improving Governance and Public Participation Citizen science and river trusts are being promoted as means to engage with communities in protecting water quality. In addition to the measures addressing significant pressures, the governance structures for implementing the Water Framework Directive have been reformed through the creation of a three-tiered structure comprising government departments, national agencies and local authorities. The RBMP also places significant emphasis on public engagement, and several initiatives have been put in place including the appointment of community water officers (put in place in 2016) in LAWPRO, the creation of a Community Water Development Fund (in 2018) and the establishment of An Fóram Uisce – the Water Forum (in 2018) – a national platform for public engagement on all matters relating to Ireland’s water resource. Other initiatives include actively encouraging the participation of volunteers and citizen scientists. For example, there are now a number of rivers trust charities stretching from Donegal to Wexford (e.g. Slaney Rivers Trust, Nore Suir Rivers Trust, Blackwater Rivers Trust, Waterville Lakes and Rivers Trust, Maigue Rivers Trust, Moy Rivers Trust, Erne Rivers Trust and Inishowen Rivers Trust). Local volunteers are involved in projects ranging from looking at the effectiveness of natural water retention measures (Inishowen Rivers Trust) to tackling the impact of invasive species (e.g. giant hogweed on the River Maigue) and working with landowners to reduce river bank erosion as a result of livestock access (Moy Rivers Trust). Further information on the Rivers Trust network in Ireland and the UK can be found at https://www.theriverstrust.org/ Citizen science projects include the Dragonfly Ireland 2019-2024 project, which is seeking volunteers to record sightings of dragonflies and damselflies along our waters, and the Explore Your Shore project, which is looking for volunteers to identify the different types of animals and plants found in seashore rockpools. These citizen science projects are being led by the National Biodiversity Data Centre and funded by the EPA. Further information on the two projects is available at www.biodiversityireland.ie 2 and www.ExploreYourShore.ie Work being carried out to monitor and protect Ireland’s water quality also links closely with Goal 6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and its targets and indicators covering water quality and integrated water resource management. 2 https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/projects/monitoring-scheme- initiatives/dragonfly-ireland-2019-2024/ 184