When is a licence to discharge wastewater needed?

The Water Pollution Act (1977) defined a ‘trade effluent’ as an effluent, “which is discharged from premises used for carrying on any trade or industry (including mining) but does not include domestic sewage or storm water”. All ‘trade effluents’ must be licensed. Discharges of domestic-type wastewater (sewage) from commercial and industrial premises to municipal sewers...

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Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)

The Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) is a law which aims to protect and improve the quality of all waters throughout the European Union. The key objectives of the Directive are to: protect and enhance the status of aquatic ecosystems promote sustainable use of water provide for sufficient supply of good quality water provide enhanced protection and...

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Minimize your environmental liability

Minimize potential environmental liability by ensuring that your business, employees and contractors understand: Legal & corporate requirements Their duties & obligations What to recognize What actions to take What and How to report Who is responsible Why it is important ECOS builds in-house expertise using a range of formal and informal training forums including one to...

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Register of Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems

The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012  requires water services authorities to maintain a register of domestic waste water treatment systems in their functional areas. The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) has developed a central on-line registration system and will manage the system on a shared-service basis for the water services authorities. Under the Act, owners...

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Farmers reduce soil erosion and water pollution

Farmers have collaborated with scientists in France to evaluate agri-environmental measures that reduce soil erosion and surface water pollution at a catchment level. The exercise helped the farmers understand the benefits of the measures and provides an example of how policymakers could engage with stakeholders under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The farmers helped develop...

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Clare County Council Crackdown On Illegal Waste Activity

Clare County Council is increasing its monitoring of illegal waste activity such as fly-tipping, backyard burning of waste and illegal waste. Enforcement work is carried out regularly and in conjunction with other local authorities, the Gardaí and other state agencies, while the Council also is utilising CCTV surveillance to detect illegal waste activity. Clare County Council...

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Water Shortages and Water Charges: Water – Rainwater – Greywater – Wastewater

Water Shortages and Water Charges: in summary there is not enough water and we must pay for what we use. ECOS helps all types of businesses to address their requirements in a sustainable manner, both economically and environmentally, by providing Expert environmental knowledge Independent advice Proactive solutions Reduce – Reuse – Recyle Water – Rainwater – Greywater...

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€8.1 billion investment in research and innovation to create growth and jobs

The European Commission has announced the final and biggest ever set of calls for proposals for research under its Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). €8.1 billion will support projects and ideas that will boost Europe’s competitiveness and tackle issues such as human health, protecting the environment and finding new solutions to growing challenges linked to urbanisation and...

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Rio+20 – time to rethink the way we use natural resources

In the 20-year gap between the two Rio summits (1992 – 2012), the earth’s population has grown from 5.4 billion to more than 7 billion – a leap of almost 30 %.  This has had a knock-on effect on global use of natural resources, in tandem with increasing per capita consumption levels. Although greenhouse gas...

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Communicating Environmental Information – EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a number of statutory roles which include: Licensing, enforcement, monitoring and research Communicating information about the quality of Ireland’s environment. The EPA is conducting a survey is to assess its strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in communicating environmental information to its stakeholders.  http://epa.ie/

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