Roaringwater Journal normally concentrates on being positive, and doesn’t get caught up in political issues. But we cannot stay uninvolved when we see the appalling prospect facing our beloved Ballydehob Bay and Estuary.

The active group that has been working on issues effecting Ballydehob Biodiversity is called Ballydonut (for an explanation, click here to read up on what a Doughnut Economy is all about). One of the members, local historian, writer and retired teacher, Cormac Levis, has put a huge effort, 250 hours to date, into researching the situation regarding waste water treatment in Ballydehob. His findings have profoundly shocked and depressed us all. Cormac, and his parents and grandparents before him, lived and worked in Ballydehob and the islands of Roaringwater Bay. He knows every inch, every story, every family, every creature, of this magnificent area and has written books and articles about it (like this one). We hung on his words on a recent trip with him, below.

Here is the executive summary of his report

Shocking Pollution caused by Ballydehob Waste Water Plant.

The gross neglect and mismanagement of Ballydehob Waste Water Treatment Plant  over a period of ten years has resulted in a shocking, ongoing pollution problem in Ballydehob Bay, especially in the vicinity of the quay and in the estuary adjacent to the village. A thick grey and brown coloured scum of sewage effluent can regularly be seen floating in on the coming tide from the primary discharge point, which is located just fifty meters downstream of the quay. Added to this, grey, filthy, foul smelling water, and often even faeces and toilet paper, can frequently been seen pouring out of the storm water overflow at the septic tank directly into the lagoon.

The so called Treatment Plant is nothing more than a basic septic tank and Ballydonut Waste Water Action Group, Ballydehob Tidy Towns Committee and Ballydehob Community Council are jointly spearheading a campaign to have the plant upgraded to provide proper sewage treatment for Ballydehob. To that end, a petition has been made available for the public to sign at the Post Office and most businesses in the village. It is also available at The Bank House on Mondays and Fridays.

 Also available are copies of a substantiated report, researched and compiled by Cormac Levis, which details the long history of neglect and mismanagement associated with the plant and the resulting threat to public health, community amenities and the environment. It can be picked up where ever the petition is available or email kilbronogue57@gmail.com to have it emailed to you.

Because this issue is so important, Cormac has allowed me to publish the complete text of his report and I have set up a page for it. Just click on this link to read it:

A Substantiated Account of the Neglect and Mismanagement of Ballydehob Waste Water Treatment Plant and the Resulting Ongoing Pollution of Ballydehob Bay and Estuary

Researched and Compiled by Cormac Levis on Behalf of the Ballydonut Wastewater Action Group.

A petition has been established and can be signed at the post office and at various businesses in Ballydehob. Here’s what it says:

To Uisce Éireann, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Environment Directorate of Cork County Council, our local Teachtaí Dála, Senators and County Councillors.

We, the undersigned, demand an immediate upgrade of the Ballydehob Waste Water Treatment Plant, as specified in Condition 5 of the Waste Water Discharge Licence D0467-01, pertaining to the plant, in order to end the shocking and ongoing pollution caused by the current inadequate and obsolete septic tank.

If you can’t get to Ballydehob and would like to add your name, please go to this link to sign it online. (For those who signed it below, before the online petition was established, we will add your names to one of our lists.) Thank you for your support, from Ballydonut Waste Water Action Group, Ballydehob Tidy Towns Committee and Ballydehob Community Council.

Ballydehob is our home, but it’s just one of many, many places in Ireland where the catastrophic failure of wastewater treatment is threatening our environment. See this report from RTE for an exposé that will curl your toes. The section on water pollution starts at 13 minutes in.