Septic Tank Registration

Households connected to domestic wastewater treatment systems are required to register their systems in line with the Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems (Registration) Regulations 2012 (SI No. 220 of 2012), as amended by Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Registration)(Amendment) Regulations 2013 (SI No. 180 of 2013). This includes households connected to septic tanks and similar systems.

Households can register and pay online by credit or debit card by creating an account on the Protect Our Water website or in person at their local authority office.

• Protect Our Water - Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems Registration

Registration forms are also available from:

1. Local Authority Offices
2. Public Libraries
3. Citizen Information Centres
4. The download section of the Kildare County Council website

The registration fee is €50. Householders who have not yet registered should do so as soon as possible as it is an offence for a householder not to register and, if convicted, the penalty is a fine of up to €5,000. The fee covers the costs of administering the register and managing inspections that are carried out under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012.

Registration was introduced to address a European Court of Justice ruling against Ireland in October 2009. More importantly, it will help protect ground and surface water quality, particularly drinking water sources, from risks posed by faulty systems.

Inspections and performance standards

The basic standard expected for all domestic wastewater treatment systems is that they do not cause a risk to human health or the environment.  Inspections are carried out to identify treatment systems that do not meet this standard.  Irrespective of the age or type of system in place, if there is no evidence of risk to human health or the environment, no action is necessary.  There is no question of imposing modern standards on older systems, or of householders having to acquire additional land to remediate systems arising from an inspection.

Where an on-site system fails an inspection, the remediation work required is based on factors such as:

• the nature of the problem
• the extent of risk to public health or the environment
• the existing site size and the hydrological and geological conditions present

Will my Septic Tank be Inspected?

Kildare County Council carry out inspections in accordance with the National Inspection Plan: Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems published by the Environmental Protection Agency.  The number and locations vary from year to year and are subject to the requirement of the EPA.

For further information on what to expect from a Septic Tank inspection a leaflet is available in the Council offices or can be downloaded from the link below.

• gov.ie - What To Expect From A Septic Tank Inspection - Leaflet

Is my Septic Tank Registered?

If you are buying, selling or otherwise involved in a particular property and need to know if the septic tank system or wastewater treatment system is registered, contact Protect Our Water directly by phone on 1890 800 800 (between the hours of 10:00-12:00) or by email support@pow.ie.  Kildare County Council cannot provide this information to you.