Wastewater treatment plant is up and running for Gorey area
€7.2 MILLION PROJECT WILL ALLOW FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF GOREY AREA
AFTER two years of construction, and a €7.2 million investment, work has finally been completed on the expansion of the new wastewater treatment scheme for Gorey and Courtown.
The revamped Courtown Wastewater Treatment Plant now has the capacity to cater for a population equivalent (PE) of 35,000 people, almost triple the previous scheme which had a 12,000 PE capacity.
Limitations in the old system led to a planning freeze being placed in September 2003 on new large scale housing developments in the Gorey Courtown area. The freeze was later lifted, but the completion of the work on the Courtown scheme now clears the way for future development in the area.
Irish Water’s wastewater programmes regional lead Mark Murray last week showed members of the media around the plant. ‘We’re marking the completion of the construction stage,’ he said. ‘ The plant is fully operational and accepting wastewater from the Gorey and Courtown areas. It’s a key milestone for the communities in Gorey and Courtown, with a significant investment in critical wastewater infrastructure in the area.’
The latest census indicates the area has a population of around 13,000 people but this greatly increases during the summer. ‘It will bring economic and tourism benefits, meeting the immediate needs of the community as well as providing for future growth and development,’ he said. ‘ Tourism is of great importance to the area and this investment will sustain and enhance the environment by improving water quality in the Banogue River and ensure that bathing water quality is fully compliant with the national and European statutory requirements.’
The previous Gorey treatment plant was overloaded and unable to meet the required treatment levels and capacity. The work involved extending the existing Courtown Wastewater Treatment Plant to provide increased capacity.
Wastewater from Gorey is now pumped to the treatment plant at Courtown, and the old Gorey treatment plant has now been decommissioned. Existing structures at Gorey are being converted to provide screening and storm water storage.
The project has been delivered in partnership with Wexford County Council and the works were procured under a design-build-operate contract with the construction carried out by a joint venture between AECOM and SIAC and engineering services provided by Ryan Hanley Consulting Engineers.
In addition to the construction and extension works, the DBO scheme will allow for the operation and maintenance (for 20 years) of the completed wastewater treatment plant at Courtown and pumping stations at Gorey, Courtown Harbour, Riverchapel, Ballinatray and Poulshone.
The contract also includes the operation and maintenance of the interconnecting rising mains from these pumping stations to the Courtown plant, the existing outfall from the plant to the Irish Sea and the sludge facility at Courtown.
This project forms part of Irish Water’s investment plan where over €530 million will be invested in upgrading services in 2016 to improve the country’s water and wastewater infrastructure.
The Irish Water Business Plan has earmarked almost €2 billion in improving wastewater quality and capacity up to 2021. Already, €10 million has been invested by Irish Water in Wexford on the Gorey and Taghmon wastewater treatment schemes and a further estimated €32 million will be spent on wastewater projects and €21.5 million on water projects in the county over the coming years.
Mark said that the priorities now lie in upgrading the Enniscorthy scheme, the gas and water mains project in Wexford, and constructing treatment plants in Duncannon, Arthurstown, and Ballyhack.