ArraTipp completes €1.7m wastewater project after EPA inspection

​​ArraTipp has said it has completed the principal elements of a €1.7 million wastewater infrastructure project after an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspection found treated effluent was continuing to discharge to the Clareen Stream despite a licence requirement for the discharge to cease.

An EPA inspection carried out at the company's Nenagh facility on April 22 identified a number of issues, including the delayed diversion of treated wastewater, noise monitoring exceedances and improvements to environmental monitoring and wastewater treatment systems.

The inspection came against the backdrop of wider concerns about water quality in the Nenagh River catchment.

Earlier this year, EPA monitoring classified the Clareen Stream, which flows into the Nenagh River, as being in bad ecological status which is the lowest possible ecological rating under the agency's assessment system.

Responding to queries from Tipperary Live, ArraTipp said the principal wastewater discharge has since been redirected to the Nenagh River, with remaining works on a secondary discharge stream due to be completed “over the coming weeks.”

The company's Industrial Emissions licence was revised in 2021 to require treated effluent to be discharged to the Nenagh River rather than the Clareen Stream. During the April 2026 inspection, however, EPA inspectors noted that treated effluent continued to be discharged to the Clareen Stream and that no confirmed completion date for the diversion project could be provided. 

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ArraTipp told Tipperary Live that the change required a €1.7 million investment in new infrastructure and that the project had been delayed following objections during the planning process, but is now done.

“Construction has now been completed. The principal discharge has been redirected to the Nenagh River in line with the revised licence. Remaining works on a secondary discharge stream will be completed over the coming weeks."

The EPA report also referred to noise monitoring undertaken during 2025, noting that recorded noise levels exceeded licence limits at two monitoring locations.

Inspectors stated that noise had been raised as an issue during previous inspections and requested that ArraTipp continue to investigate and implement measures to reduce noise emissions.

In addition, inspectors made observations relating to environmental monitoring records, stormwater monitoring and the configuration of alarms within the site's wastewater treatment system.

The EPA requested a number of corrective actions, including improvements to sampling records, the inclusion of all discharge points in stormwater monitoring and a review of alarm settings.

Responding to those findings, ArraTipp said it had already undertaken work to address the EPA's observations.

"ArraTipp has also implemented or is finalising works to address other EPA observations in the EPA report in line with agreed timelines," the company said.

The company added that it remained committed to the highest environmental standards in accordance with its EPA licence.

"ArraTipp is fully committed to operating to the highest environmental standards in accordance with its EPA licence," the statement continued.

"The Nenagh facility currently has no non-compliances recorded by the EPA, reflecting the site's continued focus on high standards of environmental management."