This alarming analysis is set out in briefing documents circulated amongst Galway West’s five TDs by environmental and heritage body an Taisce this week. A spokesman said the motivation for the communiqué is to explain to local politicians why an Taisce is objecting to Uisce Éireann’s planning application for a proposed one million litre wastewater storage tank near Merlin Park.
“We need water infrastructure for housing development, and we welcome the proposed new facility in principle, but it is just too important to be built without getting the necessary commitments from Irish Water as to what exactly it is supposed to do,” says Peter Butler of the Galway branch of an Taisce. “We need to make our TDs aware of the major issues here across Galway before [others] complain that we are just interfering,” he says.
The document points to records showing that over 10 months last year, 62 sludge tanker trucks transported waste water from Oughterard, Moycullen and Spiddal to a pumping station in Barna, from where it was pumped onward to a wastewater collection facility in Knocknacarra West. As this pump is insufficient for the quantities involved, a further 20 tanker trucks were needed to drive 660,000 litres of waste from Barna directly to a manhole on the Cappagh Road, where it was decanted by hose.
On the other side of the city, an Tasice points out that council officials acknowledged the need for a wastewater treatment facility 15 years ago to cater for anticipated population growth in Oranmore, the city’s eastern suburbs, and for thousands of new homes promised as part of the government’s Major Urban Housing Delivery Site earmarked for Ardaun, near the Galway Clinic.
Summarising two decades of engineer reports, weather analyses, planning decisions, freedom of information requests and access to environmental information queries (AIEs ) from local authorities and national agencies, the local branch of an Taisce has spelled out a stark warning to local politicians.
It counsels that there is no capacity in the waste water collection system east of the River Corrib, meaning that any new housing or commercial developments will likely discharge into the sea through stormwater overflow valves. It specifically mentions housing schemes currently in the planning process in Oranmore village, and for 117 homes near Oranmore train station at Garraun. Proposed development around Barna is also mentioned.
Most alarmingly, an Taisce’s briefing note warns on the condition of two siphons which transport wastewater from Oranmore and eastern Galway city in pipes across the Corrib’s riverbed between the Long Walk and Claddagh, onward to Mutton Island treatment plant.
A report submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency by Uisce Eireann in 2017 highlighted the necessity for a third siphon. A survey of the largest existing siphon in May this year said “it is at risk of collapse at any time,” according to McBreen Environmental. These surveyors reported the pipe needed “urgent” repair considerations “to avoid total failure”.
In a statement on its Merlin storage tank plans, Uisce Éireann said it is committed to “continuously upgrading and developing critical water and wastewater infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and delivering water services for Ireland”.
