Uisce Éireann fined €4,000 for breaches at West Cork treatment plant
Ottoline Spearman
Uisce Éireann has been fined €4000 for breaches at a treatment plant in West Cork.
The state-owned water company said it regrets any concern caused to West Cork residents who have been impacted by a smell coming from a septic tank at the Shannonvale Wastewater treatment plant.
The smell has led to the closure of the local park for 27 years.
Speaking on Newstalk, Alan Dromy from Clean Water Clonakilty said that Uisce Éireann must now act quickly in finding a long-term solution for Shannonvale:
"To have a septic tank that's failed in the heart of your village, particularly in summertime, is a huge issue.
"It brings unwanted flies, unwanted rodents to the village, it's a bit of a blight really.
"Its something that really needs to be addressed. It's no longer acceptable. It's been there for too long. The court has recognised a breach, and now its time for action and delivery."
The water company has come under fire recently after numerous issues were reported in West Cork, including Crookhaven, Adrigole, Bantry, and Schull, as reported by the Irish Examiner.
Independent Ireland councillor Danny Collins called for a suspension of standing orders to discuss the matter of numerous water supply problems across West Cork during August.
Mr Collins told the Irish Examiner that Uisce Éireann is almost impossible to contact and did not reply to councillors' queries for weeks.
“It would be easier getting through to Donald Trump. You get through to a call centre and they don’t know the area. I was told before there was no such place as Durrus," he said.
Fine Gael councillor Caroline Cronin said that Uisce Éireann is underfunded, which is the core problem.
