Odour from Cavan Town pumping station causing a nuisance

Odours arising from the pumping station for Cavan Town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant can only be resolved by an upgrade to the facilities and this is being considered by Cavan County Council.

The issue with the pumping station in Cavan Town was raised through a motion by Cllr Peter McVitty (FG) at last week’s meeting of the Cavan Belturbet Municipal District.

Cllr McVitty said he brought the matter to the attention of the authority at the behest of Cavan Town residents affected by the smells from the pumping plant.

Engineer Paul Mulligan acknowledged the problem is “an ongoing one”. He said the difficulty arose from blockages in the system caused by people disposing of items like wipes or rags down drains.

“Addressing the problem is a significant cost to the council,” Mr Mulligan said. “We have tried to educate people about the consequences of throwing such items down the drains. Fats and oils are also problem, although things have gotten better. Commercial premises were once a problem, but domestic houses are now causing the difficulty.”

Mr Mulligan said people need to think about what they put down the drain and consider would they do it if it was their own septic tanks. The area engineer told the members of one occasion when blockage at the pumping station was caused by a number of footballs clogging up the system.

Mr Mulligan said as it was an ongoing concern and an upgrade to the pumping station is needed.

Speaking after the meeting Cllr McVitty said he was happy with the response of the executive to his motion: “I’ve had a few complaints about it. It causes bad odours. When the problem is addressed, it returns again. I am happy to hear that they are looking to upgrade the pumping system, but people have to be careful what they are putting into it.”