14 minute read
IRISH WATER UPDATES
Irish Water, working in partnership with Wicklow County Council, continues to progress works on a new stateof-the-art wastewater treatment plant in Arklow, a landmark project that will provide wastewater treatment for the first time for the area. When completed, the treatment plant will bring significant benefits to the local community in terms of protecting the environment and improving water quality in the River Avoca for angling, water sports and marine life. It will also act as an enabler for housing and support economic growth and development in the town.
Works are progressing well and construction will begin on the South Quay in the coming weeks. To ensure the safety of crews and the public, a number of traffic management measures will be in place and the junction of Harbour Road and South Quay will be closed from today, Monday, 7 February. During the works, there will be no left turn from Harbour Road onto South Quay. There will also be works at the junction of South Green and South Quay where access to the South Quay will be restricted to local traffic. Works will include tree felling, services diversions and construction of tunnelling shafts which will facilitate the new sewer pipeline.
Local and emergency access will be maintained at all times throughout the work. Works on the North Quays are progressing well and will continue over the coming weeks with current traffic management remaining in place. Irish Water and Wicklow County Council would like to thank all businesses and residents for their continued cooperation during these essential works and regret any inconvenience caused.
Speaking about the works, Michael Tinsley, Portfolio Delivery Manager with Irish Water, said “We are delighted to announce that works on this essential project are progressing well and we look forward to starting the next phase of works along the South Quay. Eliminating the discharge of untreated wastewater into the River Avoca has always been a priority for Irish Water and we are committed to ending this current practice and safeguarding water quality in the river and marine environment.
On the benefits to the local community, Michael added, “The new wastewater treatment plant will have significant benefits for both residents and businesses as well as tourists that visit the area as it will improve the water quality in the River Avoca and enable future economic growth. We will continue to work closely with the local community and on behalf of Irish Water, I would like to thank businesses and residents for their ongoing support and cooperation as we progress this vital project”.
The project, which is being carried out by Ward and Burke Water Limited on behalf of Irish Water, represents an investment of €139 million and includes the development of a new, state of the art, wastewater treatment plant that has been designed to provide an ultimate treatment capacity for a PE (population equivalent) of up to 36,000, at the Old Wallboard Factory site located at Ferrybank in Arklow, two interceptor sewer pipelines (along North and South Quay) to bring untreated wastewater to the proposed plant and a marine sea outfall pipe to safely discharge the treated wastewater effluent to the Irish Sea.
This project marks another major milestone in Irish Waterʼs work to end the unacceptable practice of discharging untreated sewage into our waterways and sea. More than half of all the raw sewage discharges have been eliminated since the establishment of Irish Water in 2014 and Arklow is the largest remaining town without treatment. The commencement of this project and the progress made throughout 2021 and next means that we are on track to eliminate the vast majority of raw sewage discharges by 2025. For more information, visit our Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant project page.
Irish Water is committed to keeping customers informed about their water and wastewater supplies across multiple platforms 24/7 and we encourage customers to engage with us on Twitter @IWCare, through our customer care helpline which is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and by setting their location on our website.
Irish Water is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.
Works on new Wastewater Treatment Plants completed in Dripsey and Coachford
Today marks a momentous occasion as Irish Water, working in partnership with Cork County Council, mark the completion on the construction of two new, state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plants in Dripsey and Coachford. Both areas were previously served by overloaded and outdated wastewater treatment infrastructure and therefore new wastewater treatment plants and network upgrades were required. The new plants will bring significant benefits to both areas, enhancing the local environment and providing the platform for ongoing growth and development. Both plants are designed to comply with the Emission Limit Values in the Wastewater Discharge Authorisation and to provide capacity for the projected residential growth in the National Planning Framework and draft County Development Plan. Irish Water Delivery Lead for the projects, Seamus Glynn said, “This is a great day for the communities of Dripsey and Coachford. “These are very important projects for us to have completed in terms of accommodating future population growth in both areas and protecting the environmental quality of the Drispey River and the River Lee. “These projects will support the growth of the surrounding areas in line with the governmentʼs Housing for All policy and enhance local amenities for years to come.” The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Gillian Coughlan welcomed the announcement highlighting how, “The confirmation of new treatment plant infrastructure will bring significant benefits the people of Dripsey and Coachford from an environmental, economic and social perspective. In partnership with Irish Water, Cork County Council always welcomes such infrastructure which bring real benefit to local communities.” In Drispey, the project involved the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant and upgrades to the sewer networks to serve Dripsey and the surrounding local area, serving a population equivalent of approximately 600 people. The project also involved the rehabilitation and replacement of gravity mains, installing a new outfall pipe, and decommission and demolition of the existing wastewater treatment plant. In Coachford, the project involved the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, which will serve a population equivalent of approximately 1,600. The project also involved upgrading the sewer network and construction of a new outfall pipeline and decommissioning and demolition of the existing septic tank on the site. Both projects, carried out by EPS group on behalf of Irish Water, are part of a €27 million investment in the construction of new wastewater infrastructure in the Cork mid-West area. Other projects include: •Baile Bhúirne/Baile Mhic Íre Wastewater Treatment Plant – project completed •Innishannon Wastewater Treatment Plant - expected completion in Q2 2022 These projects will improve the wastewater treatment quality and capacity and ensure compliance with wastewater discharge regulations. All new infrastructure is sized to accommodate future population growth of the villages and the surrounding Cork Mid-West areas.
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€3m wastewater upgrade project gets underway in Ahascragh
Works to upgrade Ahascragh Wastewater Treatment Plant and end the discharge of inadequately treated wastewater into the Bunowen River has commenced. Irish Water, in partnership with Galway County Council, are upgrading the plant to provide treatment to serve a population equivalent of 470. This equates to stopping more than 300 wheelie bins of inadequately treated wastewater being discharged into the Bunowen (Ahascragh) River every day.
Once operational, the upgraded plant and associated infrastructure will not only ensure compliance with wastewater discharge regulations and improve water quality in the Bunowen River but it will also act as a platform for social and economic development.
Coffey Water Limited is delivering the works on behalf of Irish Water and works are expected to be completed by Spring 2023.
Outlining the project, Patrick Greene, Regional Infrastructure Lead with Irish Water, said: “We are looking forward to delivering this important project on behalf of the local community. This €3 million euro investment will involve the upgrade of the existing wastewater treatment plant to provide secondary treatment as well as improvements to the storm water overflow and existing main pumping station. These works will enhance Ahascraghʼs amenity value and provide a platform for social and economic development well into the future.”
Commenting on the commencement of the project, Martina Connaughton, Senior Executive Engineer said, “Galway County Council welcomes the commencement of this crucial project which is being progressed by Irish Water with the support of Galway County Councilʼs Capital Team. The upgrade works to the wastewater treatment plant will help to preserve the wonderful amenity of the Bunowen River and its hinterland while allowing for the sustainable development of a thriving community in Ahascragh.”
This project forms part of Irish Waterʼs investment plan where works have been prioritised to address the most critical issues in line with commitments outlined in Irish Waterʼs business plan.
Vartry Water Supply Scheme removed from list of ʻat riskʼ supplies following works
Almost 130,000 water customers in Wicklow and South Dublin received good news this week following the removal of seven water supplies by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from their Remedial Action List.
The Remedial Action List identifies drinking water supplies that are at risk of failing to consistently supply safe, clean drinking water. The seven water supplies which form part of the Vartry Water Supply Scheme were removed by the EPA following extensive investment and upgrade works by Irish Water working in partnership with Wicklow County Council, Dublin City Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
Irish Water recently completed construction on a new, state-of-the-art water treatment plant in Vartry. The completion of the new water treatment plant marked the culmination of a total investment of €150 million in the upgrade of the Vartry Water Supply Scheme. This has not only ensured the removal of Vartry and associated supplies from the EPAʼs RAL, it has also ensured a safe and sustainable water supply for more than 200,000 people overall across Bray, Wicklow Town, Enniskerry, Greystones and South Dublin now and into the future. For more information on the project, visit our Vartry Water Supply Scheme project page.
Works are continuing on the two remaining Wicklow supplies with a view to having them removed from the RAL as soon as possible. Irish Water has commenced detailed design on a project to rationalise both the Ballymorris and Aughrim / Annacurra water supplies to the Arklow Water Supply Zone. The project will ensure a safer and more reliable water supply for customers in both areas while facilitating growth and development and represents an investment by Irish Water of €6.3m. The project is expected to be completed in 2023 and further details and timelines will be confirmed later in the design process.
Peter Thornton, Asset Operations Lead with Irish Water, commented: “Irish Water is committed to ensuring that all our customers have safe, clean drinking water. This is a significant challenge due to decades of underinvestment in our water infrastructure, but we are making steady progress, with approximately 127,000 people in Wicklow and South Dublin now removed from the Remedial Action List.
“Nationally, the numbers of customers on the list continue to fall. Overall 16 supplies have been removed from the list in the past year, serving a total of 790,000 customers. We are working in partnership with Local Authorities to address issues with the supplies which remain on the list and to bring them to a standard where the EPA determines that they can be removed.”
As a single national utility, Irish Water has been able to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the performance of Irelandʼs drinking water treatment plants and focus investment where the risk to our customers is highest. Nationally Irish Water is investing €5.2 billion in drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure between 2020 and 2024. Significant improvements in water quality are being achieved year on year by this approach right across the country.
The Remedial Action List is updated quarterly by the EPA for those water supplies where investment in treatment processes is required.
Contract signing takes place for works to commence on Kilmore Quay Sewerage Scheme
Irish Water, working in partnership with Wexford County Council, will commence works on a new sewerage scheme and wastewater treatment infrastructure for Kilmore Quay in the coming weeks. It has been announced today that Jon Sisk and Sons Ltd. has signed the contract with Irish Water to carry out works on the utilityʼs behalf to end the discharge of raw sewage into the Eastern Celtic Sea with works on the project due for completion in 2024.
Once completed, the new sewer infrastructure will ensure compliance with wastewater discharge regulations. It will also improve the performance of the sewer network and water quality in the receiving waters and the Celtic Irish Sea. The new scheme will involve the design and construction of a new wastewater treatment plant, underground pumping stations, pipelines, as well as testing and commissioning works. All new infrastructure will be sized to serve existing and future populations and the new wastewater infrastructure will enhance local amenities and provide a platform for social and economic development.
Speaking about today's milestone, Séamus Glynn, Regional Infrastructure Lead with Irish Water said; “We are looking forward to delivering this important project on behalf of the local community in Kilmore Quay. This project will improve water quality around the quay and wider harbour area, enhance the amenity value of the coastal waters and ensure compliance with national and EU regulations relating to the treatment of urban wastewater.
“All new infrastructure has been sized to accommodate future population growth and will play an integral part in the development of Kilmore Quay.”
“We look forward to working with the local community to deliver this essential project with our partners in Wexford County Council and Jon Sisk & Sons Ltd.”
Councillor Jim Moore, Chairman of the Rosslare Municipal District expressed his delight at the announcement of the contract signing by John Sisk & Son Ltd., which will see the commencement within the next two months of this long-awaited Wastewater Treatment Plant. Councillor Moore stated; “I am delighted to see this most welcome infrastructure which will give a huge impetus to the development of Kilmore Quay in terms of environment, industry, community, housing, and tourism. I would like to thank all concerned for their efforts in reaching this important milestone for Kilmore Quay and the surrounding district and region.”
Director of Services with Wexford County Council Eamonn Hore stated that;
“It has been a long road to get to this point however the future is bright for Kilmore Quay following this fantastic news. Together with the current sewerage scheme works in Arthurstown, Ballyhack and Duncannon this represents a major improvement in Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure in County Wexford.”
Irish Water and our appointed Contractor, Jon Sisk & Sons Ltd. will be in contact with the local community in Kilmore Quay in advance of works commencing and throughout the delivery stage of the project.
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