The Environmental Protection Agency has informed Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady that raw sewage was discharged onto Bray’s North Beach was due to a power and communication failure at the Corke Abbey wastewater pumping station. They also stated that the discharge took place from December 26th to 30th. The incident, which went unnoticed by Uisce Eireann for five days, and was only identified and stopped following Brady’s complaint to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
While Brady welcomed the EPA’s instruction to Uisce Éireann to investigate, he criticised the fact that such an investigation was initiated only after his intervention. He called for Uisce Éireann to proactively investigate and publish findings for all environmental incidents involving wastewater infrastructure.
Brady said:
“I welcome confirmation from the EPA that they have contacted Uisce Éireann to instruct them to conduct an investigation into the discharge of sewage into the sea at North Beach, Bray over the Christmas period.
I have been informed by the EPA that the serious discharge occurred because of a power and communication loss at the Corke Abbey wastewater pumping station and alarmingly they have established it went unnoticed by Uisce Eireann from December 26th to the 30th.
I find it deeply concerning that Uisce Éireann would lose power and communications with one of their pumping stations for five days, and yet this did not trigger any alarms or lead to an investigation of the cause or impact of the power and communication failure.
How could this not be picked up on, why was there no automatic backup power supply that kicked in once there was a power failure. Why did someone not carry out a physical inspection as soon as communication with the station was lost?
It leads me to believe that if I had not contacted the EPA to express my alarm at the fact that sewerage was being pumped into the sea – would Uisce Éireann have done anything at all – would we still have a situation where the North Beach in Bray was being contaminated with sewage.
This is simply not acceptable.
It is essential to determine the full environmental impact of this incident and receive confirmation of the corrective and preventative measures now in place to avoid a recurrence. Without my complaint, it is likely raw sewage would still be discharging onto the North Beach.
I have written to Uisce Éireann seeking a meeting with the Chief Executive and senior officials to discuss the incident and broader issues at wastewater facilities in Bray, Greystones, and the Murrough in Wicklow Town. We need an urgent review of all treatment plants in Wicklow to ensure they meet the highest operational standards, with robust infrastructure and up-to-date maintenance capable of supporting the county’s growing population.
The people of Wicklow deserve a safe, modern sewage treatment system that protects public health, preserves our environment, and safeguards the natural beauty of our county. Anything less is unacceptable, and I will continue to demand transparency, accountability, and urgent action from Uisce Éireann.” ENDS
