Location and type of waste water treatment plants

Waste water treatment is designed to process waste water whilst protecting the environment and maintaining public health. Outfalls to the marine environment fall into three categories:

1. outfalls from waste water treatment (WWT) plants which process waste water from the mains sewerage system  (this layer);
2. industrial sites which take waste from manufacturing plants (see separate layer - Industrial (SPRI) marine discharges); and
3. some private domestic sources (not on NMPi).

These categories of outfall also discharge to the riverine freshwater environment which eventually reach the sea.