Septic Tank Charges & Clare

CptSternn

There is a mega thread about this of course, but I thought one dedicated to Clare might be a bit more appropriate. Here's why...

I lived in the states for many years. They have septic tank charges there. Those charges go to pay for inspectors who go around and check peoples tanks. This is a good thing.

Some may disagree, but here is why I personally would like to see them in Clare - Ballyalla.

Reports and have shown that a large portion of the contamination which plagues Ballyalla comes directly from septic tanks in the area, whether they have ruptured or if they are just over-filled and are in need of maintenance. If you have a septic tank it is your responsibility to make sure it is not negatively impacting the environment around you, especially that which you do not own. Enough people have ignored the issue for so long it has taken it's toll on at least one of our more popular local resources. Since it is apparent that nothing is happening regarding the correction of this problem, I support taxes on septic tank owners that will pay for inspectors to address this issue. Those who are in violation and have let this happen will be taken to task and made to pay accordingly.

I would like to be able to take my kid to Ballyalla to swim or fish (for fish to eat) one day and unless the current course changes, it won't happen. These charges are apparently the only thing that can help sort this out as it has been years and no one has done anything about it so far sure.

This is one of many examples, but I am sure there are more.

Thoughts?

Clareman

People have to manage their own effluent waste, if this causes an impact to others then they are liable for fines. You also need to have your septic tank serviced by a certified waste management person.

We've had a couple of topics on this in the past, Getting a Septic Tank Emptied and Ballyalla Lake fails to meet basic water cleanliness levels

Atilathehun

CptSternn wrote: »

There is a mega thread about this of course, but I thought one dedicated to Clare might be a bit more appropriate. Here's why...

I lived in the states for many years. They have septic tank charges there. Those charges go to pay for inspectors who go around and check peoples tanks. This is a good thing.

Some may disagree, but here is why I personally would like to see them in Clare - Ballyalla.

Reports and have shown that a large portion of the contamination which plagues Ballyalla comes directly from septic tanks in the area, whether they have ruptured or if they are just over-filled and are in need of maintenance. If you have a septic tank it is your responsibility to make sure it is not negatively impacting the environment around you, especially that which you do not own. Enough people have ignored the issue for so long it has taken it's toll on at least one of our more popular local resources. Since it is apparent that nothing is happening regarding the correction of this problem, I support taxes on septic tank owners that will pay for inspectors to address this issue. Those who are in violation and have let this happen will be taken to task and made to pay accordingly.

I would like to be able to take my kid to Ballyalla to swim or fish (for fish to eat) one day and unless the current course changes, it won't happen. These charges are apparently the only thing that can help sort this out as it has been years and no one has done anything about it so far sure.

This is one of many examples, but I am sure there are more.

Thoughts?

More taxes, more inspectors and we all have less money / no money to pay either the taxes or the inspectors.

Tora Bora

Time to get back to basics. A good whitethorn bush upwind of you with a nice few dock leaves, within reach of you. Save a fortune on septic tank levies and toilet roll, plus you get a good aerobic exercise into the bargain.
It worked before, it will work again:cool:

opinionated3

No matter what the government tell you the new charges won't help sort anything including ballyalla. What will they do to a family on the breadline who are told they have to up grade their septic tank at a cost of roughly ten grand? I am sorry but if bringing your kids to one particular lake for fishing is big on your priority list, then life must be very comfortable for you. My own father empties his tank regularly but because its the old figure of eight job he will probably get done to upgrade. Now on top of his pension cut how exactly do you propose he manages this. Bear in mind the blokes who do the ground works and installation will now be rubbing their hands together and raising prices at the prospect of this handy earner...

CptSternn

opinionated3 wrote: »

No matter what the government tell you the new charges won't help sort anything including ballyalla. What will they do to a family on the breadline who are told they have to up grade their septic tank at a cost of roughly ten grand? I am sorry but if bringing your kids to one particular lake for fishing is big on your priority list, then life must be very comfortable for you. My own father empties his tank regularly but because its the old figure of eight job he will probably get done to upgrade. Now on top of his pension cut how exactly do you propose he manages this. Bear in mind the blokes who do the ground works and installation will now be rubbing their hands together and raising prices at the prospect of this handy earner...

So because people knowingly break the law, it's ok if they are tight up for money? Do you support travellers parking their homes wherever they want? Gypsys stealing from shops if they are hard up for cash? People dumping rubbish on the side of the road to save a few bob on collection?

People who break the law when they get into financial difficulty should not be exempt from prosecution.

If you bought a septic system it is your responsibility to maintain it. If you don't and it pollutes your neighbours land and/or public land it is YOUR responsibility to correct the situation. We shouldn't have to force people to pay for people to police this sort of thing, but yet here we are.

Your argument that it's just a polluted lake and that people can't afford to live within the law is nothing short of farcical. They should have thought of that before putting themselves in a position where they are leveraged so heavily economically. If they can't pay for the upkeep on the place they are living, it shouldn't be everyone elses problem.

opinionated3

Who broke the law? my father built his house back in 1972. It most certainly did not break the law back then nor is it doing so now. Be careful before throwing wild accusations around the place. Nor did he get himself into financial difficulty. The pension cock up is the result of two governmental depts unable to do their jobs correctly but yet the pensioners have to sort that themselves. Also I don't think it was the likes of my father walked us into the economic mess we now find ourselves in and for which stupid charges like this septic tank one are expected to pay for. We all have a responsibility to look after the environment but if your doing nothing wrong why should you pay for the mistakes of others, including those who are blatantly polluting?

CptSternn

opinionated3 wrote: »

Who broke the law? my father built his house back in 1972. It most certainly did not break the law back then nor is it doing so now. Be careful before throwing wild accusations around the place.

If he, or anyone else, doesn't maintain their system and it backs up and pumps raw sewage into the estate, thats breaking the law. If he is not doing that fine, but you are the one who used him as an example, not me.

Nor did he get himself into financial difficulty. The pension cock up is the result of two governmental depts unable to do their jobs correctly but yet the pensioners have to sort that themselves. Also I don't think it was the likes of my father walked us into the economic mess we now find ourselves in and for which stupid charges like this septic tank one are expected to pay for.

Two issues you are conflating here. One is a bad economy, which I agree with you 100% it's not his or any other average persons fault. Well, those who didn't vote for FF or FG at least as their supporters have to accept they are partly to blame for electing that shower, but for the most part I agree with you. Where I begin to stray from your line of thinking is when you insinuate that septic charges are somehow the same thing as a bankers bailout. It is true this is another way the government is raising monies, but the reality is this has been a long time coming and should have been put into place years ago. I don't think the two issues are the same thing.

We all have a responsibility to look after the environment but if your doing nothing wrong why should you pay for the mistakes of others, including those who are blatantly polluting?

You shouldn't, I agree with you fully here, especially the part about paying for the mistakes of others who are not polluting, henceforth my original post about holding people who allow their septic systems to fall into disrepair be held financially accountable.

To further my views on septic systems it's like this -

When you build a house you can CHOOSE to install a septic system or pay to be hooked to the grid. If you live in an area outside of the public works you CHOOSE to do so and setup your home with a septic system because you don't have access to public sewage, but still you CHOOSE to do this.

It's like anything else in life, it's a choice people have made and at the time there were no laws surrounding the issue. Here we are decades later and seeing what an unregulated industry has caused - open sewers in some estates and raw sewage being pumped into our rivers and streams.

There was a time they used to spray highly toxic chemicals into the environment from smokestacks, until they realised how bad it was. These days laws govern that. This is no different. People may be financially unprepared and I do feel a bit bad for them, but that's no reason to allow this behaviour to go on sure.