Nenagh River is getting 'poor quality effluent' from waste water treatment plant

The waste water treatment plant in one north Tipperary village is not working to discharge standards and is discharging poor quality effluent to the Nenagh River, Cllr Seamus Morris has been told by Uisce Éireann.

Cllr Morris had raised issues with developments in Ballycommon outside Nenagh and was told that the plant had recently transferred to Uisce Éireann which had reviewed the design capacity of the plant and the existing plant had design capacity for 10-20, additional houses if it achieved better discharge standards.

Uisce Éireann told him that they were examining capital maintenance and minor works requirements to address the influent septicity and improve the performance of the existing works to facilitate the construction of housing until a permanent upgrade was carried out as part of its capital programme.

He was told the Carrig Derg waste water treatment plant was signed over to Uisce Éireann in June 2021, and they received a complaint from Inland Fisheries Ireland in relation to the quality of the effluent discharge in July 2022.

Uisce Éireann undertook a site inspection and assessment of the Carrig Derg wastewater pumping station and Ballycommon wastewater treatment plant on June 28, 2022.

The conclusion from that inspection was that the load on the Ballycommon wastewater treatment plant did not exceed the design capacity but the works required additional works in relation to flow management at the plant and capital maintenance upgrades to improve the performance of the works and the effluent quality discharged before any additional flows can be accepted.

Further site visits and inspections are scheduled to confirm the scope of the works required to resolve the influent septicity issues and capital maintenance works required.

As the scope of these works has not yet been fully determined the timeline for the design, procurement and installation of the required works can’t be confirmed, he was told.