Written answers

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Household Sewerage Facilities

8:00 pm

Photo of Michael McCarthyMichael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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Question 528: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of septic tanks in west Cork; the number that are connected to the public sewerage system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41189/11]

Photo of Michael McCarthyMichael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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Question 529: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of cases that have been identified in west Cork whereby effluent from septic tanks has caused contamination of water supplies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41190/11]

Photo of Noel HarringtonNoel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 541: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding septic tanks (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41378/11]

Photo of Phil HoganPhil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 528, 529 and 541 together.

Information on households' sewerage facilities is collected by the Central Statistics Office in the Census. Information from Census 2011 is not yet available. Census 2006 recorded that in County Cork (excluding Cork City) the number of households connected to the public sewerage network was 65,641 and there were 49,686 households served by septic tanks. A further 3,697 households in the county were served by other forms of wastewater treatment. Separate details for West Cork are not available. Census 2006 recorded that overall in the State there were 956,239 houses connected to the public sewerage network, 418,033 houses with septic tanks and 36,454 households were served by other forms of wastewater treatment.

In its Water Quality 2007-2009 Report, the EPA noted the presence of microbial contamination arising from the entry of faecal matter to Ireland's waters and stated that one of the main sources of microbial pathogens was on-site wastewater treatment systems, including septic tanks. The report states that while the proportion of monitoring points with faecal coliform detections is high, this not only reflects the impact of human activities, but also the vulnerable nature of groundwater in some parts of the country. Groundwater is a source of drinking water for many people.

The EPA's Urban Waste Water Discharges in Ireland for Population Equivalents Greater than 500 Persons: A Report for the Years 2006 and 2007 stated that at the start of 2008, wastewater from 112 locations was being discharged with either no treatment or basic treatment, and in most cases was discharging to estuarine or coastal waters. However, a number of major wastewater treatment plants which discharge to tidal waters came into operation during the period 2007-2009 and the level of untreated discharges is expected to decrease further as additional treatment plants come into operation in the coming years.

Treatment of drinking water with chlorine is an effective way of preventing E. coli in water supplied. The presence of Trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water is a by-product of the disinfection of inadequately treated water with chlorine. The EPA has expressed concern at relatively high numbers of supplies which have recorded relatively high THM levels. The EPA's recently published report, The Provision and Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland: A Report for the Year 2010, shows that the parametric value for THMs was exceeded in 12.9% of all water supplies during 2010, an improvement from 15.6% in 2009. Trihalomethane compliance in public water supplies improved from 83.9% in 2009 to 86.5% in 2010. The Report is available on the EPA website and I have arranged for it to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. Appendix 1 of the report includes a summary by local authority of the quality of public water supplies in 2010, including for the West division of Cork County Council.

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