Leitrim town flagged by EPA for wastewater upgrade over pollution concerns

Environmental watchdog Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have released their Urban Wastewater Treatment report for 2024.

It was found in the report that a town in South Leitrim has been listed as one of 34 priority areas where improvement measures are required to prevent wastewater discharges from harming rivers, estuaries, lakes, and coastal waters.

Listed on this is Mohill, where the EPA also noted that, "Uisce Éireann plans to start infrastructural upgrades in 2029 or 2030 or has no clear timeline to deliver the corrective actions to prevent pollution."

Last month, Uisce Éireann confirmed they are planning a €32 million upgrade to the Carrick-on-Shannon water treatment plant, which is already operating at full capacity.

However, due to planning, land acquisition, and other requirements, the new section of the plant is not expected to be commissioned until 2030.

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The effects of this are causing problems in many areas of the county, including Mohill, Leitrim Village and Carrigallen, where housing cannot proceed until the plant is upgraded, hindering any housing developments in the county for at least the next five years.

Budget 2026, announced on Tuesday, October 7, saw €1.4 billion allocated for water infrastructure. Responding to the EPA report, Uisce Éireann have said they are making "major strides" in upgrading Ireland’s water infrastructure, a statement that doesn’t bode well with the hundreds in Leitrim facing water outages and shortages time and time again.

"The EPA’s Urban Wastewater Treatment Report for 2024 recognises this progress, while also highlighting areas that still need attention. Uisce Éireann is tackling these challenges head-on through a multi-billion-euro capital investment programme—the largest of its kind in the State’s history.

"Uisce Éireann acknowledges the EPA’s concerns regarding operational incidents. We recognise that many of these challenges stem from the legacy condition of our assets, which in many cases lack the resilience required of a modern wastewater network,” a statement said.

To address this, Uisce Éireann said they have implemented new organisational structures designed to strengthen operational oversight, improve incident response, and enhance long-term resilience.

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With water issues still among the biggest challenges facing County Leitrim, meaningful improvements seem a long way off.