This article is from page 4 of the 2006-11-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
ENNIS Town Council is pumping raw sewage into the River Fergus, which is listed as a Candidate Special Area of Conservation, because old technology at one of its pumping stations cannot cope with the town’s growing population.
The station at Francis Street is operating beyond its capacity and during heavy rainfall, it automatically pumps raw sewage in to the Fergus less than 100 yards from nearby homes.
Confirming that the problem exists, Town Engineer Tom Tiernan said there were serious problems with the Francis Street pump station.
“The technology there was acceptable 25 or 30 years ago but unfortunately it no longer is. We have not been made aware of any safety or health risk and have explained the situation to anyone who has raised it with us”, he said
Green Party councillor Donal O’ Bearra said the council denied for years that the pump station was unable to handle the load placed upon it by an expanding Ennis.
“In 2003, it was demanded that I withdraw a “scurrilous” suggestion that this was happening but now everyone knows that it was true all the time.”