Overview
Carndonagh Waste Water Treatment Plant serves 4,294 people in County Donegal, Ireland. The facility operates under Ireland's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Carndonagh Waste Water Treatment Plant is a municipal facility located in the Inishowen Municipal District of County Donegal, Ireland. Serving a population of approximately 4,294, it is classified as a small agglomeration under EU regulations. The plant is situated in the rural northwest of Ireland, an area characterized by a temperate maritime climate and dispersed settlement patterns. As an Irish wastewater treatment plant, it operates under the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size discharging into fresh water or estuaries. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousand cubic meters per day or similar unit), indicating it is sized appropriately for its service population. Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees compliance with discharge standards. The plant's treated effluent ultimately drains into the Atlantic Ocean via local rivers and streams in the Inishowen peninsula. The receiving waters support diverse aquatic life and are part of a coastal ecosystem that includes important fish spawning grounds and migratory bird habitats. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in this environmentally sensitive region.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into local watercourses that flow into Lough Foyle and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. The Inishowen peninsula is a region of ecological importance, supporting salmonid fisheries and diverse bird populations. The plant's operation helps maintain water quality in these sensitive coastal and freshwater habitats, which are subject to EU Water Framework Directive standards.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in the Carndonagh Electoral Division, Inishowen Municipal District, County Donegal, in the province of Ulster, Ireland.
The plant serves approximately 4,294 people in the Carndonagh area of County Donegal.
The treated effluent is discharged into local watercourses that flow into Lough Foyle and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.
As an Irish plant, it operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which requires secondary treatment for agglomerations of this size. Compliance is overseen by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, plants serving between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent in freshwater or estuarine areas typically require secondary treatment. Irish plants of this scale often use activated sludge or biological filtration systems.