Third of Louth septic tanks fail inspections

According to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2024 Domestic Waste Water Treatment System Inspections Report, Louth has emerged as one of the top-performing counties in Ireland for managing domestic waste water treatment systems (DWWTS).

In 2024, Louth County Council completed its full allocation of 12 inspections under the National Inspection Plan (NIP). The county recorded a failure rate of just 33%—well below the national average of 56%. This is a strong indication of better performance relative to many other counties, where failure rates often exceeded 50%.

Louth also boasts one of the highest fix rates for failing systems. Out of 54 systems that failed between 2013 and 2024, 98% were rectified by the end of 2024. This puts Louth in second place nationally, just behind Fingal, which achieved a perfect 100% fix rate but had a much smaller total number of failures.

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The EPA noted the national importance of addressing malfunctioning DWWTS, which pose serious risks to both public health and the environment. Faulty systems can contaminate drinking water wells and lead to pollution in streams and rivers due to discharges of nitrogen and phosphorus.

The strong compliance and follow-through in Louth are likely helped by recent policy changes, including a grant increase from €5,000 to €12,000 for repairs, introduced in early 2024. These changes have contributed to a nationwide uptick in system remediation.