The area of on-site wastewater treatment and management has recently undergone significant change and further changes are in the pipeline. On-site wastewater management can be both complex and dynamic, involving changes in requirements and regulations such as:

• The large number of new unsewered homes with onsite systems
• The large number of new secondary treatment systems on the market
• A move away from conventional septic tank treatment systems (i.e. septic tank and percolation area) towards more 'advanced' systems.
• Concern over the ongoing quality, capacity and maintenance of both septic tank systems and secondary treatment systems.
• EPA initiatives, (e.g. new wastewater manuals, ongoing water sampling etc.)
• Water quality issues (e.g. pollution of surface water and groundwater by wastewater)
• FETAC certification (i.e. assessment of competency as part of the FAS/EPA/GSI Training Programme) and a move away from stand alone percolation tests carried out by architects and engineers.
• DOE/GSI/EPA Groundwater Protection Schemes (i.e. including Groundwater Protection Responses)
• EU regulations EN12566 governing treatment systems.
• Lack of testing facilities in Ireland for compliance with the new EU standards
• Uncertainty over the timing of CE marking and implementation of EU regulations
• Uncertainty over the future of Agrément system certification.
• The lack of a consistent approach among county councils in relation to assessing planning applications (i.e. SR6, EPA2000, the new Code of Practice 2009, etc.)
• The apparent lack of implementation of the measures outlined in DOELG circular letter 05/03
• Proposals to address installation, inspection, maintence and monitoring of on-site systems.
• New sludge disposal requirements (i.e. issues governing disposal of sludge from on-site wastewater treatment plants)
• Restrictions on the land application of sludge.
• The 2010 Circular Letter PSSP 1/10 Re: Implementation of New EPA Code of Practice