Construction has started on a major upgrade of the Nenagh Wastewater Treatment Plant in County Tipperary, Ireland, as part of a €49 million investment by Uisce Éireann to modernise wastewater infrastructure and increase treatment capacity in the town.
The project will redevelop the existing treatment facility, originally constructed in the 1980s, to address projected demand over the next three decades. Once completed, the upgraded plant will increase treatment capacity from a population equivalent (p.e.) of 12,000 to 19,800.
Beyond accommodating population growth, the upgrade is intended to improve the quality of treated effluent discharged into the Nenagh River and ensure full compliance with environmental regulations, including the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wastewater discharge licence.
The modernisation programme includes several new process units and supporting infrastructure. Planned works involve the construction of a new inlet pumping station and the upgrading of preliminary, secondary and tertiary treatment processes to improve treatment efficiency and reliability. The project will also install stormwater storage tanks with a total capacity of 3,000 m³ to manage peak flows during heavy rainfall events.
Additional components include the installation of a ferric dosing system, a sludge import facility equipped with centrifuges, and upgrades to the control building and electrical infrastructure. Flood protection and site-wide attenuation measures are also planned.
Engineering contractor EPS is delivering the works on behalf of Uisce Éireann as part of the utility’s wider investment programme to upgrade wastewater infrastructure across County Tipperary.
