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IRISH WATER UPDATES
• 367m invested in wastewater infrastructure in 2021, highest level to date
• 93% compliance with Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
• Impact of urban wastewater on receiving water continues to reduce
Communities across Ireland continue to benefit from Irish Waterʼs progress in improving wastewater treatment, resulting in a cleaner environment, enhanced water quality and greater capacity to support growth and development.
The latest EPA Urban Wastewater Treatment Report for 2021 recognises the ongoing progress being made by Irish Water in upgrading Irelandʼs public wastewater infrastructure while also highlighting the need for continued investment in our essential wastewater services.
Since 2014 when Irish Water assumed responsibility for public water services, 60% of raw sewage discharges by volume have been eliminated through targeted investment in new sewerage infrastructure where none existed previously, and we are on target to eliminate nearly all of the remainder by 2025.
This has been achieved by building new wastewater plants and networks in 21 towns across the country where treatment had never existed before. This new infrastructure has stopped the discharge of about 20 million litres of raw sewage every day, which equates to the sewage generated by over 100,000 people. In 2021/2022 we have made significant progress, with 14 new locations where contracts were signed and/or projects started on site, leaving just 15 areas (representing less than 10% of the total volume of raw sewage discharge) to start from 2023 onwards. In some of these areas Irish Water overcame complex planning and approval issues, such as in Arklow where construction of a new wastewater treatment plant got underway in 2021 to end the discharge of raw sewage into the River Avoca.
Another major milestone was reached last year with the completion of the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage project which ended the discharge of raw sewage from the equivalent of 20,000 homes and businesses in Cobh, Ringaskiddy, Carrigaline, Crosshaven, Monkstown and Passage West in Cork.
Irish Waterʼs Infrastructure Delivery Director Brian Sheehan said, “Irish Water is committed to protecting and enhancing our natural environment by ensuring the highest standards are applied to wastewater treatment throughout Ireland. We have prioritised key programmes such as the elimination of raw sewage and upgrading of existing infrastructure. This approach is focussed on the catchments where wastewater is a significant pressure on water quality and where the investment of public money will make a meaningful difference to overall water quality.
“The scale of delivery of this critical infrastructure is unprecedented: last year we invested €367 million in Irelandʼs wastewater – the highest ever in a single year – and we are on track to increase that further over the coming years as we strive to deliver best in class wastewater services for Ireland now and in the future.
“We have seen the impact of these improvements in areas such as Shannon, Co Clare and Cork City where we completed upgrades in 2021. Local residents and businesses are already seeing the benefits of this investment in cleaner waters, improved natural environment and increased opportunities for housing and economic development.”
Irish Waterʼs targeted programme of investment in existing wastewater infrastructure is also reaping benefits for communities around the country. The building of new treatment plants and upgrading of existing ones has led to continued improvements in the quality of receiving waters. Compliance rates with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive remain strong at 93% of plants - up from 81% in 2015. Of those that remain, almost 90% of the total wastewater load that is not yet in compliance with the Directive is represented by the Ringsend agglomeration. Irish Water is currently investing over €500 million in the staged upgrading of Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant which will deliver the capacity to treat the wastewater for a population equivalent of 2.4 million while achieving the standards of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive by 2025. Irish Water also has plans in place to address any outstanding issues at the remaining non-compliant plants.
As a result of this progress, the impact of urban wastewater on catchment waters has continued to reduce. In the first River Basin Management Plan, prior to the establishment of Irish Water, urban wastewater was identified as the second most dominant pressure on receiving waters; this has now reduced to the fourth and we expect that, by 2027, urban wastewater will be down to seventh, which demonstrates our commitment to improve overall water quality in Irelandʼs rivers, lakes and seas. This reflects the significant progress being made by Irish Water in upgrading wastewater infrastructure and optimising operations at wastewater treatment plants.
Wastewater infrastructure upgrade due to commence in Boherbue
Irish Water is delighted to announce that construction to upgrade the wastewater infrastructure for the Boherbue area has commenced. This important project, being delivered in partnership with Cork County Council, will ensure that wastewater is adequately treated before being discharged into the Brogeen River.
Speaking about today's milestone, Anthony Kavanagh, Asset Delivery Regional Lead with Irish Water said, “We are delighted to be delivering this important project on behalf of the people of Boherbue.
“Currently the existing wastewater infrastructure in the village is overloaded and outdated. The effluent does not consistently meet the standard required by the EPA licence and some parameters of the licence cannot be achieved with the assets that are currently in place.
“The modernisation and improvement of the wastewater infrastructure will ensure that cleaner and safer effluent is being discharged into the Brogeen River and will accommodate further growth in the Boherbue area.”
“We are aiming to install over 100 solar panels, generating clean, renewable energy which will improve energy efficiency at the plant and reduce carbon emissions.”Anthony added.
Glan Agua, who are carrying out the works on behalf of Irish Water, are expected to have the construction completed in early 2024.
The project involves decommissioning of the existing plant and its associated structures, and construction of the new facility on the same site in Laharn West, new inlet works, a stormwater tank, biological treatment process, tertiary solids removal, sludge drying reed beds, and a solar panel farm. The project will also reuse the existing constructed wetlands to maintain habitats for animals and plants.
The scheme is one of several Early Contractor Involvement projects to incorporate solar into the siteʼs electricity needs and reduce carbon emissions.
This, coupled with the use of natural sludge drying reed beds and the constructed wetlands, improves the sustainability of Boherbue wastewater treatment plant.
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 growth in our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.
Results of trial winter operation of UV treatment system at Ringsend wastewater treatment plant published
Irish Water has published the results of the trial operation of the ultraviolet (UV) treatment at the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant during the winter period.
Irish Water undertook the trial in response to concerns raised by sea swimmers and public representatives about the quality of bathing water outside of the bathing season in Dublin Bay.
An accompanying study of the data collected sought to establish if the operation of the UV treatment system at the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) would have benefits for bathing water quality during the winter period.
The UV system was trialled over the period from September 2021 –January 2022. The evidencebased assessment included an intensive sampling programme of 3,100 bacterial samples from 15 key locations as well as a water quality modelling to assess the likely impacts of the winter operation of the UV system on water quality at bathing sites in Dublin Bay.
Detailed analysis of the data collected did not demonstrate any material improvement in bathing water quality at bathing locations in Dublin Bay as a result of the operation of the UV system at the Ringsend WWTP during the winter period.
The results were independently peer reviewed and endorsed by the UCD Acclimatize project which found that the dataset that was developed was both comprehensive and appropriate for the assessment. The UCD Acclimatize project is undertaking a research programme to identify pollution sources at urban and rural bathing waters.
The study findings are consistent with previous analyses carried out by UCD Acclimatize and Dublin City Council which have identified near-shore pressures on bathing waters as the primary reason for occasional failures in bathing water quality at designated bathing waters. Nearshore pressures on bathing water quality can include run-off from agricultural land and roads, urban wastewater, dog and bird fouling, and misconnected houses and businesses.
In the absence of a demonstrable improvement in bathing water quality, the significant financial and carbon cost of operating the UV system outside of the bathing water season cannot be justified.
Irish Water will continue to operate the UV system at the Ringsend plant during the bathing water season from 1 June to 15 September in accordance with the requirements of the Wastewater Discharge License.
Irish Water is a member of the Dublin Bay Bathing Water Task Force and is collaborating with Dublinʼs local authorities to improve bathing water quality. The Task Force is committed to ensuring that Dublin Bayʼs designated bathing locations can be enjoyed by swimmers as often as possible.
Irish Water undertakes a range of initiatives and measures to help improve bathing water quality including designing and operating the wastewater treatment system to achieve compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. A Drainage Area Plan (DAP) programme is underway to investigate the performance of the drainage networks in the Dublin area. This will allow Irish Water to understand what impact the network is having on receiving waters, to prioritise investment to where it is most needed, and to design the necessary upgrades.
Significant investment of over €1bn is being made to upgrade the wastewater infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). We are developing new critical wastewater treatment infrastructure to support the future sustainable growth of the area, to protect the environment and to safeguard public health.
Major projects to enhance the collection, storage and treatment network capacity in the Dublin region include the Dublin City Centre Sewerage Scheme, the Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade Project (in construction), the Blanchardstown Regional Drainage Scheme (approaching completion) and the Greater Dublin Drainage project.
As a key stakeholder focussed on safeguarding our water, Irish Water also provides support for educational initiatives including the Think Before You Flush, Think Before You Pour and the Green Schools educational programmes.
Assessment of Impact of Winter UV operation at Ringsend WWTP on bathing sites in Dublin Bay :
https://www.water.ie/news/results-of-trial-winter-o/Impact-assessment-of-Winter-Operation-of-UV-atRingsend.pdf
Record funding for water services in Budget 2023 welcomed
Irish Water welcomes the Budget announcement by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OʼBrien TD, of a record funding allocation of €1.557 billion in 2023 for Irish Water. The funding will allow Irish Water to progress projects across the country, delivering jobs, increasing capacity for housing and development and supporting economic growth; balanced with our vision for a sustainable Ireland where the environment is respected and protected.
Significant projects earmarked to continue in 2023 include leakage reduction works and upgrades to water and wastewater plants and networks. This will be done with the support of our supply chain partners across the country who continue to work collaboratively, safely and efficiently with Irish Water.
Speaking about the allocation Niall Gleeson, CEO of Irish Water, said: “We welcome the continued commitment to funding water services by Minister OʼBrien and the Department for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The increase in capital investment in public water services is vital to support housing delivery, economic recovery, and for delivering environmental compliance. The additional funding comes at a time of exceptional inflationary pressures within the global environment and will ensure our programmes of works continues at pace.
“Irish Waterʼs Strategic Funding Plan sets out our ambition for the building, repair and upgrading of Irish Waterʼs water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, water and sewer network. This investment is already seeing results; in 2021 over half a million customers were removed from at-risk water supplies, major infrastructure projects delivered, over 99% of our drinking water was compliant with regulations and we have reduced raw sewage discharges nationally by over 60%. We will also continue our investment in leakage and in supporting social and economic growth enabling delivery on the Housing For All objectives.
In 2021 Irish Water issued positive connection offers associated with 32,404 housing units. And we are on track to exceed that in 2022, with positive connection offers associated with over 18,000 housing units in the first half of this year alone.
“Next yearʼs commitment on funding means we are on track to invest circa €5.3 billion in water services from 2020 through to 2024. Full detail of many of our projects and plans are available to view on www.water.ie”
