Cork councillor says report needed on capacity of water treatment plants countywide

A full report on the capacity of all water and waste-water treatment facilities in the towns and villages of Cork is needed, an Independent councillor said at Monday’s meeting of Cork County Council, because many communities are in danger of dying out, due to constraints on development.

West Cork Independent Finbarr Harrington said that two villages — Eyeries, Ardgroom — and the main town of the Beara peninsula, Castletownbere, were sterilised for development purposes, while a report is awaited on the possible threat to the freshwater pearl mussel should house building go ahead.

“This has been going on for over two years,” he said.

“If we look at the waste water situation, Glengarriff village is almost at capacity, Kealkill is at capacity, and if we move across to the Mizen Peninsula, we have a similar situation, where Goleen and Schull are almost at capacity and Ballydehob’s treatment plant is 30 years out of date.”

Reports 

The councillor also mentioned recent reports suggesting that a centre for children with autism that was planned for Dunmanway could face delays over the lack of capacity at the town’s waste-water treatment plant.

“Shortly, we, as a local authority, will be reviewing our county development plan and we’re being told we must zone more land, but the reality is zoned land without waste-water treatment or fresh water is no use. It’s the same as having a car outside the door with no petrol or diesel: It’s going nowhere.

“What’s going to happen is that small villages and towns around the county are going to be left behind, because there’s no plan in place for them.” He said that to get permission to connect a house to the water and waste-water treatment in a village takes between nine months and a year, but it only takes three hours for a couple of lads with a mini-digger.

Councillors from across the chamber were unaminous in their support of Mr Harrington’s motion.