Mr. Phil Hogan T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, has announced that he has signed regulations to provide for grant assistance for householders whose septic tanks are deemed to require remediation following an inspection under the EPA’s National Inspection Plan. The grants scheme will apply only where a domestic waste water treatment...

The EPA has published the National Inspection Plan for Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems 2013 and the European Commission has announced that Ireland has now adopted all the measures necessary to ensure compliance with the Court of Justice judgment in Case C‑188/08. The Plan outlines how septic tanks and waste water treatment systems will be...

The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DoECLG) has published the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 to regulate wastewater discharges from all homes that are not connected to the public sewer network. This is as a result of a European Court of Justice (ECJ) judgment made against Ireland in 2009 (Case C-188/08) in relation to...

The Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, announced on 17 December 2012 that a grant scheme will be available for householders whose septic tanks and other domestic waste water treatment systems need repairing or updating following inspection under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012. Householders will need to register their system by 1 February 2013...

Ireland has been fined €3.5m by the European Court of Justice for failing to comply with environmental law. In two judgements the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Ireland has to pay financial penalties for failure to comply with earlier Court judgments that established a breach of EU environmental law. This is...

Domestic waste water disposal accounts for approximately one-third of residences in Ireland.  There are an estimated 497,000 (CSO, 2012) DWWTSs in Ireland treating waste water from single houses not connected to a public sewer system. The Environmental Protection Agency will implement the  The National Inspection Plan for Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems and will incorporate...

Recent legislation requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a National Inspection Plan for domestic waste water treatment systems, including septic tanks. The Inspection Plan is currently being developed and it is intended that a risk-based approach to inspections will commence in mid-2013. In the interim, the EPA is consulting and engaging with the...

Harvesting rainwater and recycling greywater are well known and established practices. Blackwater reuse (from toilets) does not have as high a profile, but that may change after it has been used at the 2012 Olympic Games. Wastewater from London’s sewers will be treated and used to fill toilets, for landscape irrigation at the Olympic Park...

The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012  requires water services authorities to maintain a register of domestic waste water treatment systems in their functional areas. The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) has developed a central on-line registration system and will manage the system on a shared-service basis for the water services authorities. Under the Act, owners...

The WATER SERVICES (AMENDMENT) ACT 2012 has been published wherein provision has been made to require households to register their septic tanks by February 1 2013. Registration can be completed online at www.protectourwater.ie The act incorporates new rules on septic tanks which will oblige homeowners to make sure they are working properly and not polluting...