Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

313. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the regulations in place with regard to car washes and disposal of related toxins. [18115/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Primary responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality is assigned to local authorities under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts and related legislation. While there is no specific mention of car wash facilities in water pollution legislation, the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts do provide that nobody should discharge or cause or permit the discharge of any trade effluent or sewage effluent to any waters except where licensed by a local authority. Local authorities have a general responsibility for the monitoring, management, protection and improvement of water quality. Irish Water is responsible for the issuing of licences for the discharge of trade effluent to their sewers. The Environmental Protection Agency, through its Office of Environmental Enforcement, exercises general supervision in relation to the performance of these functions by local authorities.

Under Section 16 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 (as amended), an individual or business may not discharge a trade effluent to a sewer except in accordance with a licence issued under the associated regulations. Therefore, a Trade Effluent Discharge to Sewer Licence issued by Irish Water must be in place where the discharge from a car wash is to a sewer.

Trade Effluent Discharge to Sewer Licences set out conditions that must be complied with. These may include the nature, composition and volume of the trade effluent discharge; the method of treatment, the location of discharge and the periods during which discharge may be made; sampling requirements and applicable charges for the discharging of the trade effluent, as approved by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER).