Overview
Newcastle West Waste Water Treatment Plant serves approximately 6,179 people in County Limerick, Ireland. The facility operates under Ireland's implementation of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
Newcastle West Waste Water Treatment Plant is a municipal facility located in The Municipal District of Newcastle West, County Limerick, in the Munster region of Ireland. The plant serves a population of around 6,179 people, classifying it as a small to medium agglomeration under EU guidelines. As an Irish wastewater treatment plant, it operates under the European Union's Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC), which sets standards for collection and treatment of wastewater. The plant has a designed capacity of 1.00 (likely in thousands of cubic meters per day or similar unit), indicating its scale. The plant discharges treated effluent into the local water environment, which ultimately drains into the River Shannon catchment and the Atlantic Ocean. The surrounding area includes agricultural land and small communities, making proper wastewater treatment important for protecting local water quality and aquatic ecosystems.
Environmental context
The plant's treated effluent flows into local watercourses that are part of the River Shannon basin, one of Ireland's largest and most ecologically significant river systems. The Shannon supports diverse aquatic life, including salmon and trout populations, and drains into the Shannon Estuary and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. Protecting water quality in this catchment is essential for maintaining the health of downstream habitats and coastal waters.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located in The Municipal District of Newcastle West, County Limerick, in the Munster region of Ireland. Its address is on the R520 road in Mahoonagh.
The plant serves approximately 6,179 people, making it a small to medium-sized agglomeration under EU classification.
The plant discharges treated effluent into local watercourses that are part of the River Shannon catchment, which flows into the Shannon Estuary and 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 to protect water quality.
Under the EU UWWTD, plants serving between 2,000 and 10,000 population equivalent typically require secondary treatment, which involves biological processes to reduce organic matter and suspended solids.
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