FACT SHEET –
SEPTIC TANK AND OTHER DOMESTIC SEWERAGE TREATMENT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012
JUNE 2012
WHO DOES THIS COVER?
All owners of premises that are connected to a ‘domestic waste water treatment system’ are covered by this Act and subsequent Regulations.
Worried about impending water rates?
Want to reduce your water use at home?
Here is a handy guide to help you cut your consumption.
There are chemicals all over your house in cleaning products, paints, pesticides, etc. While it is unrealistic to believe that people will completely eliminate the use of chemicals in the house, we can certainly try to reduce the amount we buy. This is not only good for the environment, but for your own health as well. Look at the following products, their ingredients and their impacts. Read More
Resource Efficiency is the new buzzword. With our limited amount of natural resources and with the astronomical
level of extraction of non-renewable natural resources over the decades, our world is facing a future with less available and more expensive virgin materials. Additionally, as we are in a time of peak oil (where production of oil will continually decline) businesses, including SMEs, will have to adapt to a new business paradigm by using less energy, producing less waste and formulating new business practices to reduce their costs and create a healthier bottom line.
5 ways of reducing your resource footprint
The international World Water Day is fast approaching. Put the 22nd of March on your calendar and try to reduce your water footprint. The calcuation of your water footprint is not only based on the water you use everyday (washing, drinking, cooking, flushing), but it is also based on the water imbedded in the products we consume (coffee, tea, meat, cotton).
Measure your water footprint by using this water footprint calculator.
Happy New Year to all of our readers!
If finding a new role is one of your new year resolutions, you may be interested in a vacancy with the Sustainable Water Network (SWAN).
SWAN is an umbrella network of twenty five of Ireland’s leading environmental groups working together on water policy issues. The role of the Network, Administration & Policy Support Officer is to assist the SWAN Coordinator in ensuring the smooth running of the SWAN office; to provide support to our member organisations; to facilitate smooth and effective communication amongst member organisations and between member organisations and other bodies and to assist with the delivery of advocacy plans and policy research projects.
Dundrum Town Centre in Dublin has been awarded the county’s first Ecocert certification, recognising the steps it has taken towards sustainability. The Environmental Protection Agency, Local Authorities and environmental consultancy, Econcertive formed part of the steering committee which approved the award.
The certification will be valid for 3 years, during which time the Centre will be continuously surveyed to ensure its adherence to the Ecocert programme. New projects to increase the Centre’s sustainability include a waste minimisation pilot study, a water conservation programme which will examine the potential to use rainwater harvesting or spring water for toilet and washdown uses, and reducing energy consumption with solar paneling.
Testing a septic tank
A group of researchers from Trinity is seeking suitable sites for a new research project on septic tanks. The EPA funded project aims to find solutions for single household on-site wastewater in areas where conventional septic tanks may not be the most appropriate form of treatment. You might have heard in the news that the European Court is going to prosecute Ireland (lump sum fine of €2.7 million plus a daily penalty of €26,173) for failing to comply with the EU Water Framework Directive relating to septic tanks in single households. The outcome of this project will find applications in the new laws and regulations that are requested by the EU to protect water quality and human health.
Young Friends of the Earth Ireland is holding a rally today outside the Dail at 13:30.
You have a chance to be part of the solution. Join the Rally For Environmental Justice at Dáil Eireann, Dublin City on Wednesday 1:30pm March 23rd. Bring your friends, put on some facepaints, bring drums, music, whatever! And come for drinks in the Pint bar after!
It’s our future. Let’s show that we’re willing to fight for it
Today is UN World Water Day, a global event that is held on the 22nd of March every year as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. This year’s focus is Water for Cities. If you are in Dublin, come along to Trinity’s Science Gallery to join in the global celebrations, listen to some brief talks and have a chat with some activists, including VOICE.
You can find out more on this link
Programme for government strong on aspirations to tackle urgent environmental challenges but weak on details of credible policy initiatives.
Climate change, sustainable water management, renewable energy and waste management are long-fingered with vague timetables, an exception being the long-overdue open debate on GMOs that will be warmly welcomed by farmers and consumers alike.
Most welcome is the pledge to finally sign the Arhus Convention giving rights to access environmental information and justice, rights already enjoyed by other European citizens.
The Fine Gael/Labour coalition published its agreed Programme for Government 2011-2016 on ahead of the Labour conference that look place last Sunday in UCD. The Labour delegates approved the programme, thus propelling Labour into government for the first time since 1997.
Tag cloud of the Programme for Government (Credit: Piers Dillon Scott)
Over the past few days VOICE has analysed the environmental credibility of the Programme for Government and now present our findings.
You can read our summary or, if you have the time, keep reading to find out our verdict on the policies of Ireland’s new government.
Dublin 14th February 2011,
Pyrrhic UK court victory exposes fatal flaws in water fluoridation.
The UK high court confirmed on 11th Feb, 2011 that water fluoridation can lawfully be imposed on an unwilling English community, in a decision that simply underlines how ill-informed and irrational English health policy is on this issue (1).
Dublin, Wed 9th February 2011
Calgary’s ending of fluoridation highlights risks to children in still fluoridated Ireland.
The 10 to 3 vote by Calgary City councillors to stop fluoridating the drinking water of 1.1million residents raises yet more doubts about fluoridation in Ireland, the only EU member state to permit widespread fluoridation of drinking water (1).
A review of the case against fluoride: how hazardous waste ended up in our drinking water and the bad science and powerful politics that keep it there by Connett P, Beck J, and Micklem HS summarises the historical, political, ethical, toxicological, and epidemiological scientific data behind drinking water fluoridation. The book concludes that, if proposed today, fluoridation of drinking water to prevent tooth decay would stand virtually no chance of being adopted, given the current status of scientific knowledge
Click here to read the full review.
