13 minute read
Environment
L-R: Minister James Browne TD and Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council Barbara AnneMurphy help turn the sod on Arthurstown’s new wastewater treatment plant. All pics: Brownes Photography.
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It was sun, sea, sand and sod-turning last month as Irish Water began works on a new Wastewater Treatment Plant for Arthurstown, Duncannon and Ballyhack that will end discharge of raw sewage. A palpable air of optimism emanated around the small and socially distant gathering who were present for the event at Arthurstown as Irish Water, in partnership with Wexford County Council, began the necessary works.
The investment of €12.8m will see the plant provide wastewater treatment for the first time for the equivalent of almost 1,875 people. The works will ensure the communities have the capacity for social and economic development into the future and will also ensure the protection and the integrity of the environment. Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Barbara-Anne Murphy, was on hand to officiate at the sod-turning, saying: “The commencement of this vital sewerage infrastructure development will lead to enhanced tourism opportunities for the beautiful villages of Arthurstown, Ballyhack and Duncannon. In Wexford we pride ourselves on our expansive, well maintained beaches and coastline with all of the amenities they offer. The removal of untreated wastewater to this estuary has long been a goal of Wexford County Council, and we can now look forward to all the benefits of a cleaner environment, previously denied due to the lack of treatment in the area. These works will also hasten the return of our Blue Flag Beach status to Duncannon. I very much welcome the investment from Irish Water in conjunction with Wexford County Council.”
Paul Fallon, who is Programme Manager with Irish Water, was delighted to be present also. “This is a big day for the communities of Duncannon, Arthurstown and Ballyhack and we are so pleased to finally get the project underway. This is such a beautiful part of the country and to think that this Irish Water project will eliminate the equivalent of 1,500 wheelie bins of raw sewage flowing into the Barrow, Nore, Suir estuary every day is something to be positive about. “The size and scale of the challenge of raw sewage discharging into our water ways is well documented, however, the good news is that Irish Water has a plan to get to grips with this and similar areas around Ireland. This project is due for completion in 2023 and will support social and economic development and protect our marine life in the years to come too. I'd finally like to pay tribute to our colleagues in Wexford County Council, Sisk, Aecom and Atkins who have done a fantastic job to date and I look forward to bringing this project to completion with them." Minister of State James Browne was there also to help mark the occasion. “It’s great to see this project get underway. It has been a long time in the making, and it will open up so many new opportunities for the communities of Arthurstown, Duncannon and Ballyhack. I wish Irish Water, Wexford County Council and Sisk the best of luck with the works.”
Chief Executive of Wexford County Council, Tom Enright, also warmly welcomed the commencement of construction of the much needed Wastewater Treatment Plant, stating that “the works when completed in approximately 16 months’ time will bring great benefits to the villages and surrounding areas in terms of environmental improvements, water quality, infrastructural development, tourism and investment.” The Chief Executive also thanked Irish Water and the staff of Wexford County Council for bringing the project to this juncture and wished contractors Sisk Group well in their endeavours.
Although numbers were limited at the event due to COVID-19 restrictions, the communities were well represented by their elected representatives, business leaders and other members of the community. Well known chef and author, Kevin Dundon, was in Arthurstown to see the works kick off. He is passionate about his locality and the environment: “For all of us living and working in a coastal community, this is a fabulous environmental step forward. Cleaner beaches and water for residents and visitors alike means better living. Hopefully, the blue flags will return soon as a result of this wastewater treatment development.” Lorraine Waters from Hook Lighthouse was also on hand to witness the sod turning. “Hook lighthouse too is delighted to hear its partnering villages Duncannon, Arthurstown and Ballyhack will soon have a new wastewater treatment plant, as all our areas are striving to go green and become more eco-friendly this is indeed good news, especially in a time where we are now hoping to, in the coming years, increase our visitor capacity to our beautiful county.” Chairman of New Ross Municipal District, Patrick Barden, was also in attendance, saying: “Protecting our environment has never been more important than it is today. With this new treatment system for the villages of Arthurstown, Ballyhack and Duncannon, we are taking a major step in the right direction with regard to improving our environment here in this lovely area. Over the years these villages have been restricted in their ability to expand and diversify due to the lack of adequate sewage treatment. This problem is now being resolved and we can look forward to realising the full potential of these vibrant communities. I would like to acknowledge the role of Irish Water and Wexford County Council in the delivery of this ambitious project. I also look forward to the day when the neighbouring village of Ramsgrange will also be connected.” Since 2014, Irish Water has built new wastewater infrastructure for 16 towns and villages across the country, ending the discharge of raw sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas; the equivalent of 100,000 people’s worth, every day. Across the bay in Dunmore East and all along the Waterford coastline, the practice of discharging raw sewage into the waterways has been eliminated since 2017. The investment of €24 million there delivered seven new wastewater treatment plants in towns and villages across Co. Waterford including Ardmore, Ballyduff/Kilmeadan, Cappoquin, Dunmore East, Kilmacthomas, Stradbally and Tallow. Half of the raw sewage entering waterways in Ireland has now been eliminated and there is a plan to remove the remainder in the years to come. n
L-R: Minister James Browne TD with local resident, chef and author Kevin Dundon.
Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Barbara Anne-Murphy, said: "The commencement of this vital sewerage infrastructure development will lead to enhanced tourism opportunities for the beautiful villages of Arthurstown, Ballyhack and Duncannon. In Wexford we pride ourselves on our expansive well-maintained beaches and coastline with all of the amenities they offer. The removal of untreated wastewater to this estuary has long been a goal of Wexford Co. Council, and we can now look forward to all the benefits of a cleaner environment, previously denied due to the lack of treatment in the area. These works will also hasten the return of our Blue Flag Beach status to Duncannon. I very much welcome the investment from Irish Water in conjunction with Wexford Co. Council."
The project will bring benefits in terms of health, integrity of the environment and improved water quality for all. Upon completion the project will;
Eliminate the discharge of untreated wastewater Improve water quality in the Barrow, Nore, Suir Estuary Support economic and social development
Public should still consider water conservation during staycation season
As the Irish staycation season enters the busy August period, the public should still, despite the relatively wet weather over the last couple of weeks, conserve water as much as possible to ensure a consistent supply for all.
Some simple measures to conserve water in your home, business or farm: Take a shorter shower and save up to 10 litres of water per minute. Fix dripping taps or leaking toilets in your home. When brushing your teeth or shav-
ing, turn off the tap and save up to 6 litres of water per minute. Save and reuse water collected from baths, showers, and hand basins in the garden. Avoid using paddling pools. In the garden use a rose head watering can instead of a hose and aim for the roots. If you need to wash your car, use a bucket and sponge instead of a hose. Report any leaks to 1800 278 278. Tom Cuddy, Irish Water’s Head of Asset Operations, said: “Conserving water is something that we should be doing year round, not just when supplies come under pressure due to drought conditions and seasonal increases in demand. As demand increases we are appealing to the public to redouble their efforts in conserving water in the home, in the garden, at work and on the farm, especially when staycations will be at a peak and demand is expected to soar.”
Further water conservation information is available on the Irish Water website www.water.ie/conservation
Help keep Wexford’s coasts clean
The Clean Coasts organisation is calling on people from all over Co. Wexford to join the World's Biggest Clean-Up. Registrations for the Big Beach Clean are now open! In 2019, the campaign reported record-breaking numbers with over 300 cleanups taking place around all of Ireland, engaging approximately 8,000 volunteers who removed at least 45 tonnes of marine litter across the country. In Wexford, 15 clean-ups were organised, where approximately 450 volunteers got involved, removing 2.7 tonnes of litter all over the region. The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action and this year it will run from 17th to 19th September, as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy. This call to action invites communities and volunteers around the country to remove litter from around the Irish coast after the end of the bathing season. This initiative is also an opportunity for volunteers to more than 20 million people in 180 countries, who come together to tackle litter. For this reason, in 2021, with the involvement of the National Spring Clean programme, registrations will again be open to all residents of Ireland, no matter how far from the coast they are based. Statistics show that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities. Getting involved in the Big Beach Clean is a way for residents of non-coastal counties to help prevent litter entering our waterways and seas by holding a clean-up no matter where they are in the country and tackling the problem at source.
As sea lovers and sustainability supporters, Cully and Sully are joining Clean Coasts again and are very excited to be supporting the Big Beach Clean by providing volunteers with clean-up kits. Cully and Sully will also be hosting flagship events which will be announced later this month.
get involved in a worldwide citizen science project, which entails collecting the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches and filling in Clean Coasts’ Marine Litter Data Cards. This will help heighten awareness about the issue of marine litter serving as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem. The Big Beach Clean also takes place over the same weekend as World Clean Up Day, which normally unites To register visit the Clean Coasts website at www.cleancoasts.org
Picture-perfect Wexford
Wexford County Council Keep Well Photo Competition Winners... During the last lockdown, Wexford Libraries launched the Keep Well Photo Competition. The people of Wexford were asked to take photos that showed who or what was helping them to Keep Well in what was a pretty grim situation at times. The organisers were looking for images that would lift our spirits. The photos could include people, places and activities as long as they were taken somewhere in County Wexford. There were 318 entries with public voting and input from three judges: Paul Finnegan, Chair Visit Wexford; Dr. Denise Rogers, Acting Principal Psychology Manager, Wexford Mental Health Services, HSE; and Philip Knight, Wexford Local Authorities Photographic Society. First place: Tintern with a Twist by Daniel Stenning. Second place: Sunrise by Patricia Murphy. Third place: Otter Pups by John Nunn. All three are pictured below. Daniel Stenning was delighted to win first prize with his striking photo Tintern with a Twist. Daniel lives in Taghmon. He has a keen interest in photography, ‘The picture I took was just a spur of the moment thing. My brother and I were out on our kayaks. As we travelled under the bridge in Tintern, I noticed the shape of the small arch was the same shape as the front of the kayak. I mentioned to my brother that I thought it would make a great picture but it was difficult due to the wind current travelling through the tight space. I took a few different shots but didn’t know if I had taken a good one. I checked later that evening and, luckily, I had one that had the right shape to it. I was delighted to get into the top 3 nominations, and even more so that I was chosen as the winner.’ The judges said: This photo captures Tintern and the many elements which contribute to health and wellbeing including provision of opportunities to connect with others, be active and interact with nature. The photograph captures the less common view of Tintern from the water. It is well documented that time spent around water has many positive benefits on health and wellbeing. The view from this alternative angle reminds us also of the many perspectives which may be taken of one situation. This was so well captured by the words of poet and philosopher John O’Donoghue, “The way you look at things is the most powerful force in shaping your life.”
Patricia Murphy, who won second place with her photo Sunrise, lives in Oulart and is a paediatric nurse in Wexford General Hospital. She was driving home after night duty and noticed the amazing colours in the sky. She pulled over at Ferrybank and captured her beautiful photo. Patricia says, ‘I think it’s the most amazing sunrise I've seen. I started taking photos during lockdown when out walking and it has grown on me, Ireland is beautiful and has amazing landscapes and I really enjoy capturing moments from Wexford and other counties.’
John Nunn, who came third with his captivating photo Otter Pups, has lived in Kilmore Quay for 32 years. John was aware of adult otters in the locality but he had never been lucky enough to see otter pups. John says, ‘It was a case of being in the right place at the right time and I was fortunate to be able to frame them with the Saltee Islands in the background.’ The winners won fabulous Taste Wexford Hampers and Taste Wexford Boxes. They were presented with their prizes by Barbara-Anne Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, and County Librarian Eileen Morrissey. This Keep Well Campaign was possible with thanks to Healthy Ireland, an initiative of the government of Ireland with funding from the Healthy Ireland Fund and the Sláintecare Fund delivered by Pobal. n
Back row L-R: Eileen Morrissey, County Librarian, Daniel Stenning (winner), Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Chairperson Wexford County Council, Alan Butler, Wexford Library. Front row L-R: John Nunn (3rd place) and Patrica Murphy (2nd place).
FDYS Festival
FDYS (Ferns Diocesan Youth Service) Intercultural Festival at the Presentation Convent, Francis St, Slippery Green, Wexford on 24th July with Mayor of Wexford Cllr Garry Laffan, the Chairperson of Wexford Co. Council Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy, Councillors, officials, and FDYS members.
L-R: Kieran Donohoe and Mathew Colgan of FDYS listen as the Mayor of Wexford addresses the gathering.
On a hot day, Cllr George Lawlor and Co. Council Chairperson Cllr BarbaraAnne Murphy enjoy a cool drink.
