Galway has second highest pass rate in septic tank inspections.
A review of the progress in implementating the National Inspection Plan for Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems 2013, released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ), has shown that 85 per cent of the septic tanks so far inspected in Galway have passed.
The report shows the progress being made by local authorities in implementing the plan during the first eight months of the first cycle of the plan - the period from July 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014. The target number of inspections by end of the first cycle on June 31 for County Galway is 98. As of February 28 last there were 48 of these inspections carried out, 41 of which were compliant and seven non-compliant.
Galway’s progress is just behind Westmeath which has shown an 86.3 per cent pass rate. The EPA report showed that 53 per cent of 423 household septic tanks inspected by local authorites failed their first inspection. Roscommon had the highest non-compliance rate, with 78.9 per cent of treatment systems failing the first inspection. This was followed by Limerick at 78.8 per cent and Cavan at just over 72 per cent of non-compliance. Failure to desludge the tank was the main reason for non-compliance, with 116 septic tanks failing, followed by the operation and maintenance of the system at 109 cases. By the end of February inspections had not started in Clare, Donegal, Leitrim, and Offaly.
Gerard O’Leary, director at EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement, said: “Since the publication of the National Inspection Plan, the EPA has appointed almost 100 inspectors, who are engaged in inspecting treatment systems across the country. The first year of the national inspection plan for septic tanks is about setting up a new inspection regime and providing information to householders about how to maintain, and rectify simple problems with, their treatment systems. The inspections will now become a routine part of local authorities’ work."
