New licensing system on way for septic tanks?

THOUSANDS of home owners in Clare with septic tanks could be subjected to a new licensing and more stringent inspection system for wastewater treatment, following a recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling, a local Green Party councillor has claimed.
Official figures from the last census revealed that 16,815 dwelling houses in Clare have septic tanks out of a total of 38,026, which represent 44% of this housing stock and is 4% higher than the national average.
The Clare Champion understands that the Department of the Environment is considering the introduction of a new national licensing and inspection system for septic tanks, following a public consultation period.
In his own assessment of the ECJ judgement, Councillor Brian Meaney said the Department of the Environment may be left with no option but to introduce a licensing system. His warning coincides with a new more stringent code of practice for septic tanks and other on-site wastewater treatment systems issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has warned Clare rural dwellers about the risk that tanks pose to local water quality and the environment.
In the absence of water charges for domestic users, Councillor Meaney stressed this would be unfair, considering people on public sewers do not pay for the treatment of their sewerage, which is a combined part of the water charge. “There are legacy issues in relation to how old septic tanks were built, monitored and maintained since their introduction. Some septic tanks were poorly constructed and led to contamination of groundwater and public water supplies.
“New septic tanks perform to a high standard and don’t pose the same risk. There are about 650 septic tanks in the Ennis Rural Area and we need to find out how many of these are within the catchment of the Drumcliffe Springs source for the Ennis Water Supply.”
Commenting on the River Shannon Basin Management Plan, Councillor Meaney claimed this would require restrictions being placed on new septic tanks and upgrading of others, where the groundwater was identified as poor. He said that implementing the plan would require significant staff resources, which doesn’t take into account the current financial constraints on Clare County Council.
“This combined with the cumbersome procedure in planning, tendering, constructing and commissioning the water and sewerage treatment plants will make it difficult to provide an alternative to septic tanks,” he said.
The EPA has stressed that the manner in which the treatment system is maintained after it is installed is of equal importance to ensure that the environment and human health are protected on an ongoing basis after the house is occupied.
Gerard O’Leary, EPA programme manager, said, “When the wastewater is not absorbed by the soil, it can form stagnant pools on the ground surface. In such failures, humans can come in contact with the wastewater and be exposed to health risks.
“Inadequately treated wastewater may also lead to contamination of our groundwaters and surface waters, which in many areas are used as sources of drinking water. It is essential therefore that these onsite systems are properly designed, operated and maintained,” he added.
A council spokesperson explained that the EPA code of practice updated existing guidelines issued a few years ago and is not significantly more stringent. The spokesperson stressed that the council would not adopt a blanket approach in relation to implementing the River Shannon Basin Management Plan and would instead examine the suitability of every new development on a site-specific basis in relation to the impact on water quality.