WASTEWATER TREATMENT
EPA inspection
OVERVIEW
National Inspection Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published the latest National Inspection Plan Domestic: Wastewater Treatment Systems.
The goal of the third National Inspection Plan is to protect human health and water quality from the risks linked to domestic wastewater treatment plants in Ireland.
The period covered is from January 1, 2018, until December 31, 2021.
The key message and the objectives
- Proper operation and maintenance of the Domestics Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWTTS).
- Appropriate management of the DTTW’s sludge
- Improved public awareness
- View the plan find out the risk-based methodology used to select the sites for inspection.
- For the National Inspection Plan to achieve its goals (clean water and the protection of human health), a two-strand approach is in place:
- Engagement strategy (education & awareness for homeowners to maintain their systems)
- Inspections based on risks (identify system failures & actions to remedy the problems)
Planned inspections
- At least 1,000 inspections per year are scheduled and will be carried out by local authority’s.
- The EPA appoints the local authority inspectors.
- The number of inspections allocated to be carried out per county is dependent upon risk, meaning more numerous checks allocated to high-risk areas.
- National Inspection Plan Domestic: Wastewater Treatment Systems – the selection:The local authorities select targets using the following steps outlined below:
- Check the priority ranking map and the number of inspections required.
- Select the area for examination based on local knowledge, such as known water pollution.
- Selection of the sites for inspection is then finalised (unregistered properties get targeted first).
Operation and maintenance
As a homeowner, it is your responsibility to make sure your wastewater treatment plant or septic tanks get used correctly and are properly maintained. This responsibility includes desulging (emptying) of the tank. This maintenance is essential as when a system is maintained and operating effectively, solids will not enter and clog the percolation area and pipework leading to issues.
The findings highlight the importance of regular maintenance in the results of the national inspection plan for a domestic wastewater treatment system report (2016). Indeed, 50% of the sites failed inspection. Sites generally fail inspection due to operation and maintenance issues.
29% of inspected systems failed due to operation and maintenance issues.
24% of checked systems failed due to lack of desludging.
View full report on the EPA website
Regulations and septic tank grants in Ireland
Find out more information about septic tank regulations and national inspection plans in Ireland, such as your responsibilities, maintenance and the checks carried out during an inspection.
View more information about the grants available for domestic wastewater treatment systems.
Other sources of information: guides from the EPA
As part of an engagement strategy, the EPA provides helpful guides aimed at explaining and guiding homeowners.
- “Wastewater systems for building a house” which covers what you should consider regarding wastewater system when building a house.
- “Septic tanks and wastewater systems when buying or selling a house.”
- “Spreading sludge from your septic tank.”
- “Have you completed a septic tank system check.”
You can also visit the householder information on septic tank page, which is also full of useful resources.
Contact Tricel with any questions regarding wastewater treatment solutions for your home & EPA inspections.
Our range of products
Tricel Vento Septic Tank
Shallow dig tank, strong & robust underground tank, No electrical or moving parts. Ideal for sites with good drainage & plenty of space.
Tricel Novo Sewage Treatment Plant
Durable & long lasting SMC tank, shallow dig tank, easy installation (Plug and Play), long life components.
Tricel Maxus Sewage Treatment Plant
Commercial plant. Submerged Aerated Filter (SAF) technology. Ideal for project over 50 PE.
Tricel Tero Tertiary Treatment
An eco-friendly and modular system with proven E.Coli Treatment capabilities in line with the new EPA requirements.
Tricel Puraflo Secondary treatment plant
Ideal for sensitive sites, compliant to Irish Standard, small footprint.
Tricel Sandcel
Sand Polishing Filter
Provides a dual function of polishing the effluent from a wastewater treatment system and disposing it into groundwater.
Tricel Pumping Stations
Pump fluids from one place to another where gravity drainage cannot be used, easy and trouble-free installation
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