Councillor raises stink over Newport Sewerage Scheme

THE upgrade of the Newport Sewerage Scheme will not start until the third quarter of 2026 at the earliest, despite previous commitments by Uisce Éireann to complete it by 2025.

The issue of raw sewage flowing into sea at Newport was first highlighted by The Mayo News in 2016. Despite commitments by Uisce Éireann, the EPA and Mayo County Council for a new treatment plant, timelines for its upgrade have not been met.

The new treatment plant was initially down for completion in 2023 but Uisce Éireann, the new name for Irish Water, stated in 2022 that it will be 2025 before it is completed.

However, the EPA have now informed Westport councillor Brendan Mulroy that the start date of the project will now be the third quarter of 2026, with a completion set for the second quarter of 2028.

‘Absolute disaster’

Speaking to The Mayo News, Cllr Mulroy – who along with the late Neill O’Neill of The Mayo News first revealed that raw sewage was flowing into the sea in Newport – accused Uisce Éireann of not being honest to him or to the people of Newport.

“I presumed the start date would be in a couple of months time and finished by 2026 and not just starting in 2026,” he told The Mayo News. “They have been leading us astray by saying a lot of investigations are being carried out, but we have never seen any proof of that. It has been all a stalling process.

“I have been chasing Irish Water for a timescale but they never got back to me. The only time I got information was when I contacted the EPA asking them to fine Irish Water and they got the response out of Irish Water and the timescale.

“It was never realistic that it was going to be done in 2023. They kept that line up and up and then they came back and told me they would have to revisit it with new plans for a new scheme because some of the plans they had were not fit for purpose.

“Are people going to stand over the decision that the plant would be completed by 2023 considering all the documentation that was emailed to me. At what stage do they stop and tell the truth. They have continued to lie to the people of Newport and myself as a public representative.

“This will come as a shock to a lot of people who would have expected this to be done. This further delay is an absolute disaster and at this stage Irish Water are a joke,” the Fianna Fáil councillor said.

Something in the Water / Raw sewerage flowing in the Newport River in 2016. The town is still waiting for a new treatment plant. Pic: Neill O'Neill

Foreshore licence

In a response to questions from The Mayo News, Uisce Éireann stated it is moving ahead with plans to develop a new wastewater treatment plant for Newport. It said an application for a foreshore licence to carry out survey works in Clew Bay has been submitted to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. No timeline for the commencement of the project was provided.

“In building treatment plants and other infrastructure, we have to be mindful of the challenges around the statutory processes such as planning, environmental studies, land acquisition and other consents,” explained Uisce Éireann’s Programme Manager Colm Claffey .

“There had been initial indications that the existing outfall pipes and points in Newport could be maintained. However, this is now not the case, and we need to identify a new discharge point in the estuary/Clew Bay. The stages of a project of this scale can take time to work through, but we need to proceed through each one to ensure the success of the project. Once we break ground and start construction, we generally progress these projects very quickly.

“We submitted a pre-application to the Foreshore Unit to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for permission to carry out survey work in the bay. This pre-application was approved by the Department and a full application was submitted last year. This element is a critical path item for the advancement of the project.

“When completed, a new wastewater plant will benefit Newport for decades to come. We would like to thank the local community for their support while we continue to progress with the project.”

‘A lie’

Newport is the only town in Mayo to be identified by the EPA where raw sewage is being released untreated into the environment.

When Cllr Mulroy and the late Neill O’Neill highlighted the problem in 2016, it was initially dismissed by Irish Water, the EPA and Mayo County Council before they backtracked and admitted that raw sewage was being discharged. As a result funding has been ring fenced for the upgrade of the plant and was included in Irish Water’s capital investment with an initial completion date of 2023.

Cllr Mulroy said the delay was unacceptable and called on the EPA to immediately start fining Uisce Éireann for polluting the bay if they do not bring the commencement date forward.

“The EPA are the regulators and they are letting Irish Water get away with this. So from the time myself and Neill figured it out they have not fined Irish Water for raw sewage flowing into the bay.

“From day one Irish Water and the EPA and Mayo County Council have been dragged roaring and screaming to the table. First of all they denied it was ever going into the bay and then when they acknowledged it they gave us a timescale, which was a lie.

“I call on the EPA to fine Irish Water straight away and get that date moved forward as soon as possible. At the same time Mayo County Council are bringing people into court and people are being fined for faulty septic tanks yet the EPA are not in a position to fine Irish Water,” he said.

‘Disgraceful’

In response, the EPA stated that it considered its enforcement action in line with its Compliance and Enforcement Policy.

“The EPA has identified the key national priorities that Uisce Éireann (as the national utility responsible for water services) must address to deliver improvements where they are most urgently needed and will bring the greatest environmental benefits.

“The EPA will continue to keep all enforcement options under review in monitoring Uisce Éireann’s progress in providing a wastewater treatment plant for Newport,” the statement read.

Cllr Mulroy said he has worked hard with the businesses and the people of Newport in highlighting the problems of raw sewage flowing into the sea. He claimed that had it not been exposed in 2016, he is ‘100 percent certain’ the old treatment plant which was a holding tank would have been granted a licence and the EPA, Uisce Éireann and Mayo County Council would still be in denial.

“The people involved in Irish Water and the EPA need to take a look at themselves and the role they have played in the Newport treatment plant because it is disgraceful. They have lied and let the people of Newport down but I for one fully intend to finish what I started along with the late Neill O’Neill.”