EPA latest organisation to be tasked with resolving 26-year sewage leak in Wexford town

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the latest organisation to be tasked with resolving a 26-year sewage leak in Wexford town. The leak, in Maudlintown, is resulting in raw sewage flowing into Wexford Harbour in an area where children go kayaking during the summer.

In November of last year, Uisce Éireann informed Councillor Tom Forde that works to “direct flows away” from the sewer “directly to the wastewater treatment plant” were scheduled to be completed in 2030. Deeply unhappy with this response, Cllr Forde submitted a motion at the February meeting of the Wexford Borough District in which he asked the council to call on Uisce Éireann to “urgently address this sewage leak as a matter of priority”.

“Can we ask Uisce Éireann (UE) to prioritise the necessary capital investment and infrastructure upgrades in the area to ensure a long-term and sustainable solution to this issue and to prevent any recurrence,” read Cllr Forde’s motion.

Cllr Forde was supported by Cllr Vicky Barron.

“It’s a blight on the town, when is enough, enough?" she asked. “This is going on for decades. People have tried to sort it, everyone’s waiting on reports from here, there, and everywhere. It’s a major hazard, there are sanitary concerns, and all sorts of paraphernalia coming out of those drains.”

However, according to environmental engineer Hugh Maguire the issue may be the responsibility of another entity entirely.

"I suspect this is an EPA matter,” he said. “UE is licensed by the EPA in relation to its wastewater facilities.”

After the meeting, Cllr Forde confirmed he had forwarded his concerns to the EPA.