Kildare County Council intends to replace its existing Litter Management Plan. A draft plan for the management of litter in County Kildare for the next three years is currently available for public consultation. Your feedback is important to this process and we look forward to hearing from you. All written submissions will be considered before the plan is finalised.

The draft plan is available to view on the Council website. Please forward your submissions in writing to the Environment Section, Kildare County Council, Aras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Naas, Co. Kildare or email environ@kildarecoco.ie Closing date for receipt of same is 5.00 pm on Friday 22nd June 2012

The draft plan can be viewed here: Litter Management Plan

The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 provides for the introduction of a registration and inspection system for domestic wastewater treatment systems. It has been introduced to address the European Court of Justice ruling against Ireland in October 2009, and even more importantly, to protect ground and surface water quality (particularly drinking water sources) from the risks posed by malfunctioning systems.

Registration

Owners of domestic wastewater treatment systems will be required to register their systems with their water services authority. A modest registration fee, which will be set at €5 for the first three months of the registration period and €50 thereafter, is payable to cover the costs of administration by the water services authorities and of the risk-based inspections to be carried out. It is not yet possible to register. Details of how and when to register will be publicised in due course. There will be an on-line registration system and also a facility for written registration. It expected that the registration system will be in place by mid April 2012 and a generous period of time, likely to be up to 12 months, will then be available for householders to comply with the requirement to register.

Inspections and Performance Standards

The new legislation has been framed to minimise the impact on householders and there will be no inspection charge. Section 70 of the Water Services Act 2007 already places a duty of care on the owner of a premises to ensure that their treatment system does not cause a risk to human health or the environment or create a nuisance through odours. The new legislation augments the existing duty of care provisions. With regard to standards, the basic standard to be met by all domestic wastewater treatment systems is specified in the legislation; that is, that they do not cause a risk to human health or the environment. The legislation provides for the making of Regulations concerning performance standards, including maintenance and de-sludging requirements, and a public consultation was launched on 1st March regarding the draft regulations. The consultation documents are available on the Department’s website and submissions are being accepted until 30th March.

Inspections will be objective and evidence-based. Householders can be assured that if their systems are working properly and are being maintained, they need not be concerned. There will be a proportionate and risk-based approach to inspections, which will be targeted towards areas where drinking water sources or habitats are at risk from septic tank discharges.

There is no question of imposing modern standards, for example those set out in the EPA’s 2009 Code of Practice, to older systems. Nor is there any question of householders having to acquire additional land to facilitate remediation work. Where an on-site system fails an inspection, the remediation work required will be based on factors such as the nature of the problem, the extent of risk to public health or the environment, existing site size and the hydrological and geological conditions present.

Financial Assistance

All possible options to provide financial support to householders whose systems are deemed, following inspection, to require remediation or upgrading will be kept under review pending the commencement of inspections. The position regarding the extent of problems with domestic wastewater treatment systems and costs of remediation will then be clearer. Any grants scheme introduced will have to have regard to the overall budgetary situation and the financial position of the individual households concerned.

Important Note

As stated above, it is not possible to register yet so no fees are payable at present. Inspections under the new legislation will probably not commence until 2013 and details will be made available at that time in the national and local media. Householders should take care not to allow uninvited persons, or persons claiming to be septic tank inspectors, to enter onto their property in advance of the launch of inspections. Householders will be formally notified by their local authority if their domestic waste water treatment system is to be inspected and inspectors will be required to carry identification and to present this on request to householders. Further Information

Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012

Environmental Protection Agency

A new ONLINE only grant applications system is being introduced for 2012.  All new applications will be made online to a single awarding authority, Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI).  For information on how to apply and required documentation please log on to www.studentfinance.ie for details.