Up to 2,000 cubic metres of raw sewage pumped into River Nore after leak: report

THE people of Kilkenny had “a right to know” about a major spillage that resulted in between 1,000 and 2,000 cubic metres of raw sewage being pumped into the River Nore, an Independent councillor said today.

The spillage was caused following a major leak at the Maudlin Street pumping station over a 24-hour period last year.

According to a report in today’s Sunday Times, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has instructed Irish Water to survey water quality in the Nore this summer to investigate if the leak has had any lasting impact on the surrounding protected habitat.

The report says Irish Water did not inform the NPWS of the leak of which occurred on July 1-2 last year. The NPWS said it began investigating the matter in August 2018 when it became aware of the leak.

Under the 2011 Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations, it directed Irish Water to conduct a follow-up survey during the winter, which concluded that the incident had not caused a deterioration in water quality from the level needed for the conservation of protected species in the Nore, including crayfish and salmon.

Further research will be conducted this summer when water flows will be low.

Reacting today, Independent councillor and European election candidate Breda Gardner said the people of Kilkenny “had a right to know” about the spillage.

Cllr Gardner (pictured below) said she asked “on at least one or two occasions” if the water was safe and was “assured that was sorted”.

She added: “This not acceptable. We have to have more transparency in the interest of people, fish, animal, health and environment protection.”