Raw sewage is still being emitted from 16 towns and villages every day [Video]

LAST UPDATE | 18 hrs ago

RAW SEWAGE FROM the equivalent of 40,000 people in 16 towns and villages across Ireland is still being emitted into seas and rivers every day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

Published today, the organisation’s Urban Wastewater Treatment in 2023 report states that this figure is down from 29 areas at the beginning of last year. 

It also found that wastewater treatment in ten large towns and cities failed to meet European Union standards set to protect the environment.

The EPA accused Irish Water (Uisce Éireann) of being too slow to make improvements, stating that its delays in doing so in areas where wastewater is adversely impacting rivers and coastal waters are “prolonging risks to water quality”. 

According to the report, wastewater treatment at many areas is “not good enough” to prevent discharges from impacting the quality of rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters.

“All deficient wastewater works must …