'Urgently needed' work called for in Laois Offaly town to protect River Barrow
Risk to freshwater pearl mussel identified in two Laois villages
Portarlington is listed in a new national report on a list which says the town's wastewater network need urgent attention.
The new Envornmental Protection Agency's Urban Waste Water Treatment report for 2021 also lists Castletown and Ballyroan as locations where work needs to be done to protect the local freshwater pearl mussels.
The EP says Portarlington, which is flood prone, is among a list 38 towns around Ireland where priority must be given improvement in waste water treatment because they are 'most urgently needed' and will bring the greatest environmental benefits.
The EPA wants Irish Water to Irish Water to prioritise the work needed in Portarlington and 37 other areas to prevent waste
water from harming rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters.
The report says this work may involve upgrading the collecting and treatment systems, as well as improving how these systems are operated and managed.
The report says Irish Water is taking some action but it still needs to produce clear plans and time frames to resolve the risk of pollution from 27 priority areas.
An EPA official confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that Portarlington's problems rest with the sewerage network rather than the treatment works. The agency believes that the pipes and other parts of the network cannot cope with the capacity of waste which causes overflow into the water courses even in light rain.
The EPA says it has identified pressure weaknesses in network which must be addressed. While it has not been able to conclusively say that the problems are polluting the River Barrow and other waterways, the EPA has identified biological markers that could be caused by pollution.
Irish Water has begun the process of preparing a drainage area plan which would be needed to upgrade the network but the EPA wants this accelerated. Consultants have yet to be appointed to carry out surveys to identify problems.
The EPA report says Irish Water’s current investment plan, which runs from 2020 to 2024, does not provide for the completion of infrastructure upgrades to prevent waste water from harming the local environment in Portarlington and 26 areas. It also says any upgrades needed at these areas should be given priority in Irish Water’s next investment plan.
Castletown and Ballyroan are the only locations outside Munster where more work is needed to protect the freshwater pearl mussels which are globally endangered molluscs that need clean, fast flowing, well oxygenated rivers and a clean river bed. Both villages in the River Nore catchment area.
The EPA report says it requires Irish Water to improve waste water treatment at the two Laois locations and 10 towns and villages to protect vulnerable freshwater pearl mussels in the local rivers.
The EPA said work as been carried out in Castletown with more underway. They expect this will address the risk to the pear mussel by next year.
However, the situation is different in Ballyroan where the agency is concerned about the impact. The EPA says that while some work has been carried out more is needed and there is no timeframe on when the required work will be completed.
In its new report, the EPA says Irish Water must allocate the resources and funding to identify and implement the improvements needed in Ballyroan and four other areas at the earliest opportunity