Uisce Éireann says it is investigating foul odours at a new wastewater treatment plant at Castletownbere in West Cork and taking steps to identify and address the problem.
The issue was raised at a meeting of the West Cork Municipal District (MD) this week by Cllr Finbarr Harrington who said there is an ongoing foul odour coming from the plant and its associated pipework.
The Independent councillor said it has been raised with the national water utility several times “over the last number of years” at meetings at MD level and in County Hall. “Despite this, I’m continuing to hear from residents who have contacted me about the foul odour.”
Cllr Harrington said the plant is a “very welcome development for Castletownbere. It is important infrastructure for the town and for the future development of the town and the surrounding area but that infrastructure needs to work properly.”
“In particular, we have to consider the people who live in close proximity to the treatment plant. They shouldn’t have to put up with foul odours in their homes. For those residents, it’s not something they can simply avoid. They deserve to be able to enjoy their lives without having to deal with the foul smell when it occurs.”
Councillors supported a motion proposed by Cllr Harrington and seconded by Cllr George Gill that the council write to Uisce Éireann about the issue.
In a response sent to the Irish Independent, Uisce Éireann said “we understand that odours can be unpleasant and concerning for people living in the area, and we would like to reassure the community that every effort is being made to address this issue.”
“Surveys of the wastewater infrastructure are being undertaken which will be used to determine what further works and upgrades may be required.”
The water utility added that it encourages people living in the area to report odours to its customer contact centre so that any occurrences can be logged and investigated.
The wastewater treatment plant at Drom South, Castletownbere was completed in late 2022 and includes a 100m-long marine outfall pipeline to safely discharge treated wastewater into the sea.
The €13 million project ended the discharge of untreated wastewater into Bantry Bay and is designed to support a population of around 2,200 people. The scheme included the construction of 750m of new sewer pipelines and 1,700m of rising mains as well as four new wastewater pumping stations across Castletownbere.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.