Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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395. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline any changes and/or amendments his Department will be making in the coming months regarding standards for privately owned septic tanks and the qualifications required from operators who install and or service septic tanks;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19903/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 provides that the basic standard to be met by all domestic waste water treatment systems is that they should not create a risk to public health or the environment. Draft standards to augment this requirement were drawn up by my Department in consultation with the EPA and were issued for public consultation in March 2012. 165 submissions were received and were taken into consideration in the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations which I made on 26 June 2012. The regulations set out performance standards, including requirements regarding the maintenance and de-sludging of on-site systems. The relevant legislation is available in the Dáil library. I have no current plans to make amendments to these standards.

Where a domestic wastewater treatment system is found to be a risk to human health or the environment and remediation works are required, the selection of a competent contractor to carry out the works required will be a matter for the householder concerned. Due the wide variety of remediation works which could arise, and the number of trades and professions which could be involved, there are no plans to establish a formal qualification system for contractors involved in such works.