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The waste water treatment plant at Rathcormac has been named among 38 sites in Ireland that fail to meet EU standards. Photo: 123RF

The waste water treatment plant at Rathcormac has been named among 38 sites in Ireland that fail to meet EU standards. A report, 'Focus on Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2013' from Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has found that Rathcormac is one of 10 treatment plants across Cork that failed to attain the Directive standard in 2013.

The 38 urban centres that fail to meet the required standard, place the health of people and the environment at risk, according to the director of EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement. Gerard O’Leary. “The reasons for the failures range from, in some instances a complete absence of infrastructure to treat sewage, in others, inadequate infrastructure and in further instances, poor management and operation of infrastructure,” he told Newstalk.

The EPA said the priorities for Irish Water must be to eliminate raw sewage discharges, improve the performance of existing waste water infrastructure and reduce the pollution impact of sewage.

In more positive news for the area, the River Blackwater at Fermoy was deemed 'unpolluted' between 2010 and 2013, having had a 'moderate pollution' status between 2007 and 2009. However both Mitchelstown, Watergrasshill and Lismore were listed as areas that did not comply with the effluent quality standards in the waste water discharge licence.

A number of other local areas were found to comply with standards for biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and suspended solids. These included Ballyhooly, Carraig na bhFear, Castletownroche, Conna, Doneraile, Glanworth, Glenville and Killavullen in countyCork, while in Waterford, Cappoquin and Tallow were highlighted for not having a secondary level for waste water treatment.

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