COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, January 12, 2015
QUESTION NO.7
QUESTION: Councillor W. Lavelle
To ask the Chief Executive to report on:
- - the progress made by this Council in implementing the 2009-2015 Eastern River Basin District (ERBD) management plans; including details of the Programme of Measures implemented and the total expenditure to date;
- - the progress in seeking to meet the ERBD objective to “achieve good status by 2015” in respect of the water quality of rivers & watercourses in our County, including particularly the Griffeen River which had been identified as “bad”;
- - the Programme of Measures planned in 2015; and
- - the role of the Council in preparation of the second cycle of River Basin Management Plans?
REPLY:
Overall the Council continues to make progress on water quality improvement and key measures undertaken in 2014 were:
- Control and remediation of pollution incidents,
- Investigation of misconnections to the surface water drainage network
- storm water quality of ‘taking-in-charge’ estates
- Licencing of trade effluent discharges to waters,
- pre-planning consultations,
- catchment inspections,
- river water sample collection and Statutory Water Quality Monitoring
- Farm Inspections
- Septic Tank Inspections
Pollution Incidents – 7 Years at a glance
| Year | Incident No. |
| 2006 | 87 |
| 2007 | 91 |
| 2008 | 55 |
| 2009 | 80 |
| 2010 | 69 |
| 2011 | 60 |
| 2012 | 41 |
| 2013 | 38 |
This year saw the implementation of septic tank inspections under the National Inspection Plan which, in South County Dublin, focused on Slade Valley due to its high amenity status as a pNHA (proposed National Heritage Area). Directions to homeowners to improve environmental operation of their wastewater treatments systems ranged from de-sludging, to removal of pipes from watercourses, to complete upgrades of their systems. Fourteen inspections were carried out in 2014 and a further 20 are planned in 2015.
The current water quality status designations were set by the EPA based on data collated during the period 2007 to 2009. Arising from that, South Dublin County Council does not have any rivers or streams designated to move from Status – Bad/Poor/Moderate to Good Status by the end of 2015. The Council is waiting for new status information from the EPA covering water quality up to the end of 2012 which will provide a better description of water quality in the County. It is anticipated the Griffeen River will improve from ‘Bad’ status to ‘Poor’ in that new set of designations due to the new fish survey data showing a more acceptable range of fish species.
The Programme of Measures for 2015 as outlined in point 1 above will be the same as those for 2014.
With regard to the second cycle of river basin management plans, the EPA will prepare programmes of measures and river basin management plans with the assistance of local authorities. South Dublin County Council will be responsible for public consultation, the development of river basin management plans and programmes of measures with respect to its functional area. The EPA expects to publish the second cycle river basin management plans by the end of 2017.
More Information is available at www.erbd.ie