Grant scheme for upgrading septic tanks welcomed

Local Government TD Frank Feighan has welcomed Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s announcement of a significant grant scheme for domestic septic tanks requiring upgrades.

  “Grants of up to €4,000 will be made available to people whose septic tanks and other domestic waste water treatment systems are found be in need of remedial work following inspection. This will help lower income households to carry out any upgrade that may be required to ensure that the ground water in that area is protected.

  “Grants which cover 80% of the cost of the works, up to a maximum of €4,000, will be

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Local Government TD Frank Feighan has welcomed Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s announcement of a significant grant scheme for domestic septic tanks requiring upgrades.

  “Grants of up to €4,000 will be made available to people whose septic tanks and other domestic waste water treatment systems are found be in need of remedial work following inspection. This will help lower income households to carry out any upgrade that may be required to ensure that the ground water in that area is protected.

  “Grants which cover 80% of the cost of the works, up to a maximum of €4,000, will be available to households who earn up to €50,000. For households with an income of between €50,001 and €75,000, 50% of the cost of the works can be covered by this grant up to a maximum of €2,500. A strict condition of eligibility for grant-aid will be registration of the system by February 1st, 2013. All domestic septic tanks and other waste water systems should be registered by that date and failure to do so will disqualify the household from being allocated grant-aid.

  “Grant assistance will only be available to householders whose systems have been inspected by their local authority and are found to be in need of remediation. Inspections will commence across the country in 2013 and this announcement will go some way to alleviating the financial concerns some people may have had about repairing systems if they fail an inspection. 

  “The importance of ensuring the safety of our groundwater cannot be overstated and despite the scaremongering in recent months, the majority of systems will not pose a problem. However, there may be some septic tanks that are polluting groundwater and contaminating drinking water supplies, posing a major health risk and this cannot go unchecked.

  “The grant for Group Sewerage Schemes is also being increased from €2,031.58 per house to €6,500 per house or 75% of the cost of the scheme, whichever is the lesser. A number of pilot schemes will be carried out based on an increased grant level.

  “All households will be notified in writing by their local authority in advance of inspections taking place so people should not be caught off-guard in terms of granting people permission to come onto their land to inspect tanks and waste water systems. I would implore everyone, but especially those who may be in need of financial assistance in the instance that their tanks need upgrading, to be sure to register their system before February 1st, 2013,” concluded Deputy Feighan.

  Fine Gael Cllr. Michael McGreal welcomed the new septic tank grant scheme. 

  “The Department of Environment and Local Government is to carry out a number of pilot schemes based on an increased grant level,” Councillor McGreal explained.

  “It will be asking local authorities to include in their requests for funding under the 2013 Rural Water Programme proposals for group sewerage schemes which might be viable based on an increased grant. The selection of the pilot schemes and related funding arrangements will be completed as soon as possible after proposals have been received from local authorities in 2013.

    “Inspections are expected to commence in 2013 and will be based on a national inspection plan currently being finalised by the Environmental Protection Agency.”

  The announcement was also welcomed by Cllr. Michael Creaton. Cllr. Creaton said that most septic tanks would only need minor upgrades and that these grants would cover the cost in most is most cases. He said in many cases the septic tanks are working well but the percolation area need replacing.

Roscommon People

Issued dated 4th January 2013.