Waste water from four of Clare’s sewage treatment plants failed to reach EU quality standards in 2006 and 2007, according to a report released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).‘Urban Waste Water Discharges in Ireland’ reviewed the quality of discharges from 370 secondary waste-water treatment plants around the country. Clare plants that discharge directly into estuaries or coastal waters with just basic treatment or no treatment:
Preliminary treatment (To screen out, grind up or separate debris is the first step in waste water treatment. Sticks, rags, large food particles, sand, gravel, toys etc are removed at this stage) Primary treatment (Second step in treatment which separates suspended solids and greases from waste water)
Clarecastle (no treatment); Corofin (primary treatment); Kilkee (no treatment); Kilrush (no treatment); Scarriff (primary treatment).
