KELLOE STW - Closed Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kelloe, County Durham

KELLOE STW is a former wastewater treatment plant located in Kelloe, County Durham, in the North East of England. The plant served a population of approximately 1,813 and is now closed. It was part of the region's municipal wastewater infrastructure, handling domestic sewage from the local community. The plant provided secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment stage required under the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) for inland discharges. Although the plant is closed, its design capacity was 2,172 cubic meters, indicating it was sized for a moderate flow. The operational context reflects typical UK regulatory standards, where treatment plants are permitted by the Environment Agency under the Water Resources Act 1991. Before closure, the plant discharged treated effluent into a local watercourse that ultimately drains into the North Sea via the River Wear or nearby coastal streams. The North East of England's rivers support diverse aquatic life, including salmonids, and the plant's treatment level helped protect downstream water quality.

The plant discharged into a tributary of the River Wear, which flows eastward through County Durham to the North Sea at Sunderland. The Wear catchment supports important fisheries, including Atlantic salmon and brown trout, and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in parts. The secondary treatment provided by KELLOE STW helped maintain water quality in this ecologically sensitive river system.