Uisce Éireann is being urged to fast-track a major upgrade of the Killarney Wastewater Treatment Plant on Ross Road after Environmental Protection Agency findings confirmed the facility requires urgent improvement.

The issue was raised by Councillor John O’Donoghue at the September meeting of the Killarney Municipal District, where he called on the state utility to outline a clear timeframe for the necessary works.

First constructed in 1972 and last extended in 1998, the Ross Road plant serves a population equivalent of over 41,000 people.

It operates near capacity and discharges directly into the Lough Leane catchment via the Folly Stream.

Cllr O’Donoghue warned that any potential failure at the site would cause irreparable damage to the local environment and cripple the town's economy.

"I have been persistently highlighting my concerns about the Ross Road plant, so I had mixed emotions when my fears were confirmed by the EPA," Cllr O’Donoghue said. "Given its proximity to the Lakes of Killarney, this needs to be made a matter of absolute urgency."

He cautioned that a lack of treatment capacity poses a direct threat to town development and the tourist trade.

"Any form of malfunction would prove disastrous from an environmental point of view, and housing development in the town would grind to an immediate halt. Our housing system is already broken with prices barring all but the very wealthy, and a freeze on building will only make matters worse."

Comparing the situation to ecological disasters elsewhere, Cllr O’Donoghue pointed to Lough Neagh as a stark warning of how quickly major lakes can suffer from severe pollution.

"The Lakes of Killarney are the jewel in our crown. The impact of a failure on tourism would be catastrophic. We need to demand immediate action and a clear schedule of works from Uisce Éireann."

Council members supported the motion to formally write to Uisce Éireann seeking an urgent update.