Environment

Almost half of septic tanks inspected by local authorities last year failed

The EPA, through the National Inspection Plan, has identified rivers and areas where household drinking water wells are most at risk of contamination by faulty septic tanks

Local authorities issue advisory notices requiring householders to fix tanks that fail inspection. Photograph: Getty Images

Shauna Bowers
Thu May 9 2024 - 00:01

Almost half of septic tanks inspected by local authorities last year failed, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said poses “a risk to human health and the environment”.

Domestic waste water treatment systems (DWWTS), mostly septic tanks, are used by householders to treat sewage. There are nearly half a million systems in Ireland, with around 1,200 being inspected annually.

On Thursday, the EPA published its latest report on DWWTS inspections for 2023. A total of 1,189 DWWTS inspections were completed by local authorities last year, of which 45 per cent failed.

There were a “significant number identified as a risk to human health and the environment”.

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Local authorities issue advisory notices requiring householders to fix tanks that fail inspection. The EPA report found that there were 576 cases where issues notified to householders over two years previously had still not been addressed.

However, 80 per cent of tanks that failed inspections between 2013 and 2023 were fixed by the end of last year, representing an ongoing improvement from 75 per cent in 2021 and 78 per cent in 2022.

To date, local authorities have taken 62 legal cases for failure by householders to resolve faulty DWWTS, with eight cases taken in 2023.

Counties with significant numbers of failures combined with a low level of resolution are Waterford, Roscommon and Kilkenny.

A total of 95 per cent of legal actions were taken by just four local authorities: Wexford, Kerry, Mayo and Limerick.

Noel Byrne EPA programme manager, said it is “unacceptable that the number septic tanks left unfixed for more than two years continues to rise”.

“Greater enforcement is needed by local authorities to ensure failed systems are fixed. Where faulty septic tanks are not being fixed, particularly given the availability of the enhanced grant scheme, local authorities need to use their enforcement powers to protect the environment and public health,” he added.

Dr Tom Ryan, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, said “faulty septic tanks are a risk to human health and the environment and must be fixed”.

“The EPA, through the National Inspection Plan, has identified rivers and areas where household drinking water wells are most at risk of contamination by faulty septic tanks,” he said.

“Local authority inspections are targeted in these areas. It is critical that householders protect their family’s health and the environment by fixing the problems identified, drawing on the enhanced grants now available.”

Shauna Bowers

Shauna Bowers

Shauna Bowers is Health Correspondent of The Irish Times

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