“Raw sewage from the equivalent of 86,000 people is flowing into Irish waterways every day, a health threat the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says is not being dealt with quickly enough.” The Irish Times, Feb 14 2019
The Irish Times is one of many media outlets running stories calling for urgent action to be taken to protect Ireland’s rivers, streams and lakes. All are at serious risk of pollution from waste water from tens of thousands of properties which is flowing, untreated, into the country’s water courses.
The cause is largely down to poorly maintained, or badly designed, septic tanks.
This is a ticking ecological time-bomb as well as a potential threat to public health for Northern Ireland and ROI.
Environmental Ticking Time Bomb
Traditionally, Irish householders and businesses who are not connected to the mains sewer have managed their waste water on-site using septic tanks. But a septic tank removes only around 30 per cent of the active pollutants in the effluent, which is why their discharges pose such a threat both to water courses and ground water.
David Best, Commercial Specification Manager, Ireland for the Klargester Product Range at Kingspan comments, “Septic tanks are not a fit and forget solution, nor are they suited to all locations. They are highly inefficient, hence why they also require external drainage fields to filter the effluent before it reaches groundwater. They should not be installed near to surface water or near any sensitive sites.
“Sewage treatment plants by contrast are highly efficient, treating around 95 per cent of the pollutants within the waste matter. For peace of mind, they should be considered the solution of choice in situations where it is impossible to connect the property to the main sewer.”
Kingspan Klargester CPD: The Guide to Sewage Treatment Plants
A team of experts from Kingspan Klargester, the world-leading waste water management range, in association with Engineers Ireland and CIBSE, will be offering a CPD to key professions involved in the management of waste water, including builders and architects entitled: “A Guide to Sewage Treatment Plants”.
Topics covered include:
- Understanding waste water treatment
- An introduction to sewage treatment systems
- Site assessments
- Sizing commercial systems and seasonal applications
- Typical installation process
- Dos and don’ts
There are four CPD sessions being delivered across these venues:
September 13th: The Kingspan IKON “innovation centre” Kingscourt Co. Cavan
September 20th: The Kingspan Stadium Belfast
The CPD is free to attend and worth one hour of CPD credit.
A free tour of both venues is offered for delegates and complimentary lunch with refreshments on arrival is also provided.
To find out more, or to book your free place go to www.bit.ly/klargesterCPD or email/phone us: E water-IE@kingspan.com / NI T: 028 3026 6799, ROI T: 048 3026 6799
