Pollution at Lady’s Bay and Lisfannon Beach needs urgent attention.
At a meeting between Uisce Éireann and Inishowen Municipal District members in September, Cllr Fionán Bradley said it was agreed to establish a working group to tackle the issue.
However, Uisce Éireann says that, according to their meeting notes, that agreement was never made, and a working group has not been formed.
Cllr Fionán Bradley says he has written to the utility multiple times requesting updates, but has received no response.
He adds that, as a tourism town, the pollution is harming local businesses:
Uisce Eireann’s Response:
Uisce Éireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth, provide safe drinking water, and enhance the environment.
We can confirm that Uisce Éireann has not established a dedicated working group for Lady’s Bay or Lisfannon Beach, nor was such a group agreed at the September meeting, as per our meeting records.
However, we remain committed to addressing the issues raised and look forward to keeping all stakeholders updated on the progress of the Buncrana Wastewater Scheme and related projects.
Works are continuing on the €31 million Buncrana & Ballybofey-Stranorlar Sewerage Scheme, which is due for completion early next year. This investment will upgrade wastewater infrastructure, reduce the risk of sewer flooding, and eliminate non-compliant sewer overflows into Lough Swilly and the River Finn. It will also improve network capacity to support population growth and economic development. Stormwater storage will be provided in Buncrana to reduce overflow risk during storms, ensuring compliance with EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directives and Wastewater Discharge Licence requirements.
The new Westbrook pumping station is already operational, significantly reducing overflow events to the Crana River. Commissioning of storm tanks at Buncrana Wastewater Treatment Plant early next year will further increase treatment capacity during storm events. While these upgrades will greatly reduce wastewater-related risks, Lady’s Bay remains vulnerable to other pressures such as road runoff, agriculture, forestry, and private wastewater systems.
Uisce Éireann met with the Inishowen Municipal District in September where these matters were discussed and will continue to provide updates as works progress. Elected representatives that have any queries related to public water or wastewater services, can contact the Local Representative Support Desk (LRSD) which is the dedicated phone and email service for local and elected representatives.
