The decision by the Regional Group of TDs and I to published our motion in relation to wastewater calling on the Government to create a strategic plan to make regional development a reality by investing in water and wastewater infrastructure in our towns and village is timely following the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency 2019 this week.
“Many of our towns and villages do not have water and wastewater treatment services. The Report of the Environmental Protection Agency 2019 is highly critical of Irish Water’s delivery of new treatment plants”
“The Report notes that 35 towns and villages continue to discharge raw sewerage into nearby waters. Places like Craughwell, Corofin, Abbeyknockmoy are examples of towns and Villages that have no Sewerage treatment facilities provided by Irish Water. These town and villages cannot develop to meet the demand for housing or cope with the threat of pollution from existing housing estates. County Galway is one of the worst counties in terms of the provision of Municipal Treatment Plants and it is an environmental time bomb. The report also identifies 113 priority areas where improvements are urgently needed to prevent pollution, eliminate discharges, meet EU treatment standards and protect bathing waters”
“We need to protect our environment and our communities. We must support people living in communities to develop growth centres. But towns and villages need investment to provide the infrastructure necessary to attract families to live, work and raise their families, and clean water and wastewater systems are essential components to grow communities”
In order to address some of these issues local authorities and developers require clear policies and actions to ensure proper planning takes place.
The implementation of a development lead infrastructure scheme to fast track infrastructural development in our towns and villages to create balanced development is long overdue.
“The latest report by the EPA highlights key issues within our water infrastructure and this Government needs to put in place a transparent cost structure for new, and develop extensions to existing, water and wastewater treatment infrastructure as a matter of urgency”.