IRIS Project

The original IRIS Master Plan was produced in 1992 and recommended an integrated 'all-Island' solution to sewage treatment. The four main objectives were to:

• cease the discharge of raw sewage to the marine environment
• transfer foul sewage to a centralised sewage treatment plant for treatment
• treat the foul sewage flows to a standard designated by Tynwald
• decommission the proliferation of small sewage treatment works

Since 1995, the following achievements have been noted through implementation of the IRIS Master Plan in the south:

• sewage from 65% of the Island's population being treated at the new wastewater facility at Meary Veg
• sludge, the natural sewage by-product, being treated in a new sludge dryer at Meary Veg, thus enabling the resultant pelletised product to be taken to the Energy from Waste Plant 
• cessation of raw sewage discharges at Port Erin, Port St Mary, Castletown, Derbyhaven, Douglas and Onchan
• decommissioning of the Union Mills, Braddan Hills, Silverburn, Mount Murray, Croit-y-Caley and Balthane sewage treatment works
• improvements in bathing water quality