Septic Tank Registration Charges now payable Pursuant to the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012
The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 provides for the establishment of a registration system for domestic waste water treatment systems. Basically, this will apply to any property that is not connected to a mains sewerage system. It is estimated that there are over 400,000 houses with individual septic tanks.
Under the Act “a domestic waste water treatment system” means a system involving physical, chemical, biological, or thermal processes, or a combination of such processes, utilised for the treatment or disposal of domestic waste water or the sludge derived from domestic waste water, and includes;
(a) All septic tanks and waste water tanks any systems receiving, storing, treating or disposing of domestic waste water and all drains associated with such tanks or systems; and
(b) All drains associated with the discharge of domestic waste water, whether or not they discharge to a septic tank or waste water tank.
Registration
All householders with a “domestic waste water treatment system” are required under the Act to register details of their system on line with;
Protect Our Water https://www.protectourwater.ie/
A National Register is to be compiled and held by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The registration scheme became operable on the 31st of March 2012. Septic Tank Registration Charge is set at €50.00, but as an incentive to register early, the Minister for the Environment has reduced the charge to €5.00 for registrations made in the first number of months of this scheme (until September 2012). A Certificate of Registration shall remain valid for a period of 5 years from the date it issues. On the expiry of the Certificate the owner is required to renew the Certificate of Registration with the Water Services Authority concerned.
Inspections
Householders, and particularly the elderly or other vulnerable people should not allow any person enter their property to examine their septic tank unless they have received prior notification in writing from their Local Authority that their system is to be inspected. There is no fee for inspections. If following an inspection, the owner of the property connected to the particular system/septic tank is found to have contravened the regulations under Section 70 (l) of the Act or the system/septic tank is found to constitute a risk to human health or the environment, the Local Authority will issue an advisory notice to the owner which will out the remedial works necessary to bring the system into line and the time frame for carrying out the works. There is an appeals mechanism for re-inspections and rights of recourse to the District Court.
Offences and Penalties Section 70 (M) (1) – A person guilty of an offence under Section 70 B (12), 70 C (2), 70 E (10), 70 G (5), 70 H (18) or 70 L (2) is liable, on summary conviction, to a Class A fine (maximum €5,000).
Buying or Selling a house connected to a Domestic Waste Water Treatment System.
The Act provides that if you are selling a property after the 31st of March 2012, you are obliged on completion of the sale to furnish the proposed purchaser with a valid Certificate of Registration in respect of the Treatment System. It will then be the purchaser’s responsibility after the sale has been completed to notify the relevant Water Services Authority of the change of ownership in order that the Water Services Authority can update their register for domestic waste water treatment systems. For further information go to https://www.protectourwater.ie/
