Four towns and villages in Galway were still discharging raw sewage into waterways in mid-2023 according to the latest EPA report.
The most recent Urban Waste Water Treatment Report found that Roundstone, Carraroe, Spiddal, and Ahascragh were all still discharging raw sewage in the middle of this year.
The report found that 26 towns and villages are still discharging raw sewage, with Uisce Eireann committing to eliminating the majority by 2025.
Progress has been made on shortening that list, with six villages connected to new wastewater treatment plants in 2022.
Launching the report, Dr Tom Ryan, EPA Director said that this progress was encouraging, but added that, “waste water remains a significant pressure on Ireland’s water ways and is adversely impacting water quality.”
“The pace at which Uisce Éireann is delivering improvements needs to accelerate to prevent pollution and protect water quality.
He added, “Uisce Éireann must take the opportunity of its new investment plan for 2025 to 2029 to deliver waste water infrastructure that meets the needs of our society and protects and improves our environment into the future.”
“The investment plan must prioritise resources to prevent pollution in the priority areas highlighted by the EPA.”
In other bad news from the report, it found that less than half of Ireland’s wastewater, 45 percent, met with EU standards.
However, a lot of this volume is in the capital, and that number is expected to shift significantly when the upgrade of Ireland’s largest treatment plant at Ringsend in Dublin is complete.
