The completion of the Kinvara sewerage scheme will end the stench of raw sewage entering the local bay – but it now emerges there’s a sting, or stink, in the tail.
Because 85 houses, half the houses, in the village will not be included in the scheme – and they will have to continue operating on septic tanks or private treatment systems.
For almost three decades raw sewage has been discharging into the sea at Kinvara and this has proved off putting for tourists who visit the village.
The good news is that the new sewage treatment plant for Kinvara, which is expected to commence in October, will bring an end to this disgraceful situation.
Cllr. Joe Byrne said that this was a welcome development – except for the fact that half of the village’s households will not be connected to the new treatment plant is unacceptable.
He explained that when Kinvara eventually succeeded in getting a new treatment plant, there was an allocation of €5.2 million – but it seems that Irish Water are now spending between €2 million and €3 million on the project.
This has resulted in the exclusion of 84 houses – most of which were built in the last 20 years.
There are some estates with their own private treatment plant who expected to be connected to the main sewer but have discovered that this will not be the case.
“The new treatment plant will bring to an end the long suffering and at times fruitless protests of the Kinvara people to rid our beautiful harbour of raw effluent.
Since 1986, the population of Kinvara has grown, at thankfully a controlled rate. The National School had 165 students back then; today it is bursting at the seams with over 330 pupils.
“Seamount College is now a very successful co-ed secondary school, heading towards 400 students. There are over 200 people employed in our village, through education, retail, tourism and many very successful small to medium sized businesses,” Cllr. Byrne added.
The scheme was to involve the provision of a sewer between the village and Dunguaire Castle.
A pumping station was planned at the castle which would pump effluent into the network in the village.
But the extent of the new network was scaled back so much that over 85 houses are now excluded for the scheme and this has angered Cllr. Byrne who believes there is still time to rectify the matter.
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