Septic tank inspections to begin in Kildare
Half of Ireland’s septic tanks failed inspection in 2022.
Kildare County Council has advised all homeowners that inspections of domestic waste water treatment systems (DWWTS) — usually known as septic tanks — will be carried out during 2025.
The purpose of these inspections is to ensure that DWWTS are not causing negative impacts on human health or the environment.
Inspections are carried out under the EPA DWWTS National inspection Plan, which is a risk-based approach.
Kildare County Council will contact owners when they are to be inspected, and co-operation with these inspections would be appreciated.
The council advises householders to inspect their own system every year for signs of operational issues, especially blockages in manholes, slow-draining toilets and sinks, unwanted pools of water or sewage gathering, sewage in nearby ditches and streams, as well as any odd noises or smells from your system.
For those that fail, the council want to also inform its citizens that grants towards 85 per cent of its repair — to the tune of €12,000 — are available to apply for.
Please note that grants will not be paid towards the normal costs of ensuring a system is working properly, such as maintaining, servicing or de-sludging a domestic waste water treatment system.
Full details of the DWWTS are available on the council’s website.
Homeowners are required by law to register their DWWTS with Protect Our Water.
To check if a DWWTS is registered please contact ‘Protect Our Water’ directly, or on their website.
If the DWWTS is located in a relevant area under the EPA DWWTS National Inspection Plan, the owner may be entitled to apply for a grant to assist with the cost of works for the remediation, repair, upgrade, or replacement of a system serving a house.
Only registered waste contractors with a valid Waste Collection Permit to remove septic tank sludge in County Kildare should be engaged to de-sludge and empty your DWWTS.
Owners of a DWWTS are required to keep records and receipts of sludge removal and servicing for five years.
Farmers may spread sludge from their own septic tank onto their own land but only in accordance with the Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) Regulations (SI No. 148 of 1998).
