Morris seeks fish protection on Nenagh River
A MOVE by Uisce Éireann to upgrade the existing malfunctioning waste water treatment plant in the village of Ballycommon is being opposed by local councillor Séamie Morris who is insisting the facility be replaced by a new plant.
He has told the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) that the current plant has contributed to the deterioration in water quality in the nearby Nenagh River.
He says raw sewage from the facility is threatening native wild brown trout and Atlantic salmon who migrate from the ocean to spawn in the upper reaches of the river.
In a submission to the EPA, Cllr Morris stated: “I would like to strongly object to the granting of a waste water certificate of authorisation for the Ballycommon Plant sought by Uisce Éireann.
“The plant, which is unfit for the purpose, has been polluting illegally without authorisation from the discharge pipe of the Nenagh River since the plant started.
“The Nenagh River is the largest tributary of Lough Derg and is a major trout fishery and salmonid river.
“Although it is not a salmon fishery, a large number of salmon spawn in the upper reaches of the river, and at a time when salmon are a threatened and protected species, the salmon in this river are vitally important.”
Cllr Morris said the wild salmon that return to their native river from their Atlantic feeding grounds after surviving the hazards of the ocean are entitled to good water quality rather than be threatened by water that is polluted with raw sewage.
‘BAD CONDITION’
The Independent councillor pointed out that the Nenagh River has already been downgraded to “bad condition” by the EPA. “The waterway doesn't need any more pollutants being dumped into it from an unfit waste water treatment plant.”
In his submission to the EPA, Cllr Morris continued: “Uisce Éireann has unsuccessfully tried everything to fix the plant, including downgrading the capacity to 350 persons from 550 persons.
“This, and several interventions by Uisce Éireann, have failed - so much so that the plant is being cleaned out by tanker a few times a day every day of the week for two years now.
“The plant in Ballycommon should not be called a ‘treatment plant’ because it offers no treatment for the effluent, other than aeration.
“It is merely a large receptacle into which the effluent is fed, and despite what tinkering is done with the tank, it cannot treat the effluent.
“It must be noted also that the dilly-dallying by Uisce Éireann by not replacing the plant is holding up badly needed, ready-to-go housing schemes as the plant will need to be replaced anyway due to it being unfit for purpose.”
Cllr Morris concluded: “This plant cannot be fixed. It needs to be replaced. So, I object strongly to this application for a discharge pipe for the current plant.”