Overview
Castleisland Waste Water Treatment Plant serves approximately 5,000 people in County Kerry, Ireland. The facility discharges into the local river system under Ireland's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Castleisland Waste Water Treatment Plant is a municipal facility located in Castleisland, County Kerry, in the Tralee Municipal District of Ireland. The plant serves a population of around 5,000 residents, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations. It is situated inland, approximately 50 km from the coast, and treats wastewater from the town and surrounding areas. As an Irish wastewater treatment plant, it operates under the European Union (Urban Waste Water Treatment) Regulations, which transpose the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) into national law. For agglomerations of this size, the directive requires secondary treatment as a minimum standard. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in thousand cubic meters per day or similar units), indicating it is sized appropriately for the local population. The treated effluent is discharged into a local river, which flows into the River Maine and eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean via Castlemaine Harbour. This water body supports diverse aquatic life and is part of a sensitive estuarine ecosystem. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in the region, particularly for downstream habitats and recreational uses.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into a tributary of the River Maine, which flows into Castlemaine Harbour, a large estuary on the southwest coast of Ireland. This estuary supports diverse marine and bird life, including salmon and sea trout populations. The receiving waters are ecologically sensitive, and the plant's treatment performance is critical to maintaining water quality standards under the EU Water Framework Directive.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in Castleisland, County Kerry, in the Tralee Municipal District of Ireland. It serves the town and surrounding areas.
The plant serves approximately 4,966 people, classifying it as a small agglomeration under EU regulations.
The treated effluent is discharged into a local river that flows into the River Maine and eventually reaches Castlemaine Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean.
The plant operates under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), transposed into Irish law. For its population size, secondary treatment is required as a minimum.
Under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, agglomerations between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent require secondary treatment. Many Irish plants of this scale use activated sludge or biological filtration systems.
Nearby plants