Something in the water: Why is raw sewage still being released into Irish waterways?

Astonishingly, the state is still pumping untreated wastewater into rivers and the sea in 34 towns and villages up and down the country. How did we get here, and how soon can this end?

There are two other underwater sewer pipes discharging sewage from the village of Roundstone into Roundstone Bay, one to the north of the harbour and another to the south of it. But neither of them is clearly visible, so only locals know about their existence. Picture: Michael Dillon

The Connemara village of Roundstone has been a favourite holiday destination for generations of families due to its picturesque harbour overlooked by the Twelve Bens mountains across the bay. But many of the visitors who hang out at the pier are unaware of what lies beneath the waves.

There is an underwater pipe that starts at the sea wall and exits around 70 metres into the Roundstone Bay. It is releasing raw sewage from the ...