ALNESS and INVERGORDON WWTW - Invergordon, Scotland Wastewater Treatment Plant

ALNESS and INVERGORDON WWTW is a wastewater treatment plant located in Invergordon, Highland, Scotland. It serves a population of 5,575, placing it within the small to medium agglomeration category under Scottish Water's management. The plant is situated near the Cromarty Firth, a sheltered coastal inlet that connects to the Moray Firth and ultimately the North Sea. As a Scottish plant, it operates under the Urban Waste Water Treatment (Scotland) Regulations 1994, which transpose the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). For agglomerations of this size, secondary treatment is typically required unless the receiving waters are designated as less sensitive. The plant's designed capacity is 1.00 (likely in megalitres per day or similar unit), indicating a scale appropriate for the served population. The treated effluent discharges into the Cromarty Firth, a vital marine environment supporting diverse aquatic life, including salmon and shellfish. The firth is an important area for birdlife and is part of the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation, which protects bottlenose dolphins and other species. The plant's operation helps maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive coastal ecosystem.

The plant discharges into the Cromarty Firth, a coastal inlet that flows into the Moray Firth and then the North Sea. The Cromarty Firth supports diverse marine life, including Atlantic salmon, sea trout, and shellfish, and is a key habitat for migratory birds. The area is ecologically sensitive due to its role as a nursery ground for fish and a feeding site for seabirds and marine mammals.