Laois community living with 'dire' situation

Ballybrittas residents are living with a ‘dire’ sewerage situation, according to a councillor who, along with other Laios representatives, have called on the authorities to come to the table and work out a solution.

The long-running issue was raised again with Cllr PJ Kelly, Fine Gael, at a recent meeting in County Hall. He tabled a motion calling on Laois County Council and Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) officials to attend a meeting between representatives of Ballybritas Village Sewerage Action Group, and local county councillors to discuss "the very serious sewage situation that has existed there for over the last 45 years".

Cllr Kelly said he raised the issue after he and other councillors met with residents in recent weeks. He stressed the seriousness of the dependence of most of the village on malfunctioning septic tanks.

“The situation is dire,” he said.

Cllr Kelly said the village is unsuitable for new septic tanks as proved when a newly installed septic tank overflowed onto the old Dublin road through the village.

He backed the appeal from residents that the village should be connected to the public waste system via a pumping station in the Graigavern housing estate.

He said the pumping station has a capacity for 300 properties but just 77 homes are linked to it at present. He said 54 buildings in the village needed to be connected.

Cllr Aidan Mullins, Sinn Féin, backed his colleague’s appeal. He believed that investment was not required to upgrade the pumping station. He said piping and connections to the houses in the village are required.

He said the exercise is required to find out how much it will cost to add the village to the public scheme.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy, Fianna Fáil, also supported though he reminded his colleagues that legal action is ongoing about the pumping station.

Cllr Padraig Fleming, Fianna Fáil, Cllr Ben Brennan and Cllr Aisling Moran, both independents, also backed the motion. Cllr Moran urged the council to “take the bull by the horns”.

The issue was raised at the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District meeting held in Portlaoise.

Laois County Council's Director of Services Simon Walton told councillors in early January that collection network would make all tanks redundant but Uisce Éireann is solely responsible. However, he said that the council had applied to the water utility to have the system in Ballybrittas upgraded.