Youghal Wastewater Treatment Plant

This €12.5 million project has stopped untreated effluent being discharged directly into the sea at the Blackwater Estuary.

Youghal is a coastal town in Co. Cork with a significant tourist industry that relies on water-based recreation activities for visitors including swimming, surfing, fishing and boating. This project has stopped untreated effluent being discharged into the sea at the Blackwater Estuary by constructing a new wastewater treatment plant as part of the Youghal Main Drainage Scheme which treats effluent to a high standard before discharging to the sea safely. The new wastewater treatment plant has improved water quality in the Blackwater Estuary and also allow for seasonal/future population growth and commercial development in the area.

• Improve water quality in the Blackwater Estuary
• Ensure bathing water quality regulations are met
• Ensure treated effluent complies with EPA standards
• Allow for growth in local population, tourism and economic development

• Constructing a new wastewater treatment plant with a treated effluent outfall from the wastewater treatment plant to the Blackwater Estuary
• Upgrading the existing pumping stations
• Constructing a new pumping station at Green Park
• Installing approx. 9km of new or upgraded sewers and pumping mains
• Constructing new rising mains to connect catchments in Youghal
• On completion, untreated wastewater from the town will be collected and directed to the new wastewater treatment plant. Treated effluent will then be safely discharged to the Blackwater Estuary