Home > Services > Water Services > Wastewater > Discharge Licences and COAs
I want to...
EPA
DEHLG
Tap Tips
NFGWS
Contact Us

Opening Hours

Monday to Friday 9:30am to 4:00pm

Water Section
Offaly County Council
Áras an Chontae
Charleville Road
Tullamore
Co. Offaly

Phone: 057 9346800
Fax: 057 9346868
Email: water@offalycoco.ie

In 2007 the “Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations, 2007 (S.I. 684 of 2007)” were introduced to control and regulate discharges from Waste Water Treatment Works and Agglomerations (Network). These Regulations apply to all discharges from Waste Water Treatment Plants.

Local Authorities are required to apply to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) for a Discharge Licence (WWDL) in respect of a treatment works serving a population of greater than 500 – Offaly County Council has applied to the EPA in respect of 14 wastewater treatment works which fall under this category. Treatment works serving a population of less than 500 require a Certificate of Authorisation (COA) – Offaly County Council has applied to the EPA in respect of 15 wastewater treatment works which fall under this category. Table 1 below outlines the current status in relation to Discharge Licence / Certificate of Authorisation applications. The full text of any granted licences / certificates can be viewed on the EPA website at www.epa.ie or by clicking on the Treatment Works name below.

Table 1– Breakdown of Offaly County Council Wastewater treatment works according to Population Equivalent and required discharge authorisation.

Treatment WorksPopulation equivalent1Type of Licence RequiredDate of SubmissionDate Granted
Shannonharbour64Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0916-May-11
Coolderry80Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0928-Mar-11
Rahan2100Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0907-Mar-11
Mountbolus149Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0901-Mar-11
Leamonaghan/Pollagh187Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0907-Mar-11
Killeigh209Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0907-Mar-11
Clonygowan216Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0907-Mar-11
Belmont233Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0910-May-11
Ballycumber278Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0901-Mar-11
Bracknagh .300Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0901-Mar-11
Shannonbridge330Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0922-Jun-11
Moneygall354Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0901-Mar-11
Clonbullogue382Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0901-Mar-11
Geashill438Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0928-Mar-11
Walsh-Island494Certificate of Authorisation22-Dec-0901-Mar-11
Kinnitty536Discharge Licence22-Jun-09Pending
Cloghan754Discharge Licence22-Jun-09Pending
Ballinagar800Discharge Licence22-Jun-09Pending
Shinrone768Discharge Licence22-Jun-09Pending
Rhode846Discharge Licence28-Feb-09Pending
Mucklagh786Discharge Licence22-Jun-09Pending
Kilcormac1026Discharge Licence28-Feb-09Pending
Daingean1229Discharge Licence28-Feb-09Pending
Ferbane1635Discharge Licence22-Sep-08Pending
Banagher2540Discharge Licence22-Sep-08Pending
Clara5776Discharge Licence22-Sep-08Pending
Edenderry6992Discharge Licence22-Sep-0812-Jul-10
Birr7659Discharge Licence22-Sep-0815-Dec-09
Tullamore25000Discharge Licence14-Dec-0718-Jan-10


1 Population equivalent (PE) is a calculated value of the population serving a wastewater treatment works. It is calculated using data such as the number of people, shops, restaurants, industries etc., all within the catchment area of the treatment works, and assigns relevant population equivalent values. For example, one person is equivalent to 1PE, however one meat processing factory employing 20 people could be equivalent to 500 PE, as the effluent being discharged may be representative of 500 people. The PE data in Table 1 is the operating PE of the respective treatment works, i.e. what the treatment works are currently treating.

2 Rahan WWTW is currently not in operation