Westmeath’s water treatment systems have been criticised in a new report, which reveals that the county recorded a rate of 62 per cent failure to meet EU standards in the period 2006/7.
One of the county’s most prominent rivers, the Brosna, also came under fire in the report, being singled out for description as “seriously polluted since the early 1970s”.
The report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ), entitled ‘Urban Waste Water Discharges in Ireland’ provides a review of the treatment of waste water at 482 villages, towns, and cities in Ireland, and the quality of discharges from 370 secondary waste water treatment plants during 2006 and 2007.
Some 62 per cent of towns and villages in Westmeath with secondary treatment plants failed to meet the requirements of the EU’s Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Overall, the report shows that there is no waste water infrastructure or inadequate infrastructure at 112 locations in Ireland and there are 192 treatment plants (51 per cent ) where the effluent quality is not meeting the EU standards, due to waste water treatment plants either not operating properly or being overloaded.
EPA monitoring in 2007 also identified 13 seriously polluted river sites, including the Brosna, that can be attributed to urban waste water discharges.
The EPA has promised to take legal action against local authorities if they fail to put in place the recommended improvements in the operation and monitoring of waste water treatment works.
A spokesperson for Westmeath Water Services was unavailable to comment on the report at time of going to print.
