The latest report on septic tanks by the Environmental Protection Agency says enforcement by local authorities of failed tanks is inconsistent, with the lowest rates of failures fixed in Roscommon, Waterford, Leitrim and Tipperary.
Half of the septic tanks in the country failed inspection last year, with 20 per cent identified as a risk to human health and the environment.
The findings are contained in an Environmental Protection Agency report on Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems.
Noel Byrne of the EPA says delays in fixing faulty septic tanks is a risk to public health.
'There was over 1,100 inspections done by the local authorities in 2022, but half of these failed inspection, and what the EPA report also identifies is that it's taking too long to fix faulty septic tanks which means that risks are continuing there to peoples health and the environment.'
