WATER PLANTS GET UPGRADES
TWELVE water treatment plants in Sligo are being upgraded with storm recorders and flow measurement devices in a bid to protect our rivers and coasts.
Irish Water is investing €2.7m million in the equipment in plants including Ballinacarrow, Ballymote, Castlebaldwin, Curry, Culfadda, Drumcliff, Geevagh, Monasteraden, Mullaghmore, Riverstown, Rockfield and Rosses Point.
The project will also allow Irish Water to identify where investment is needed in the wastewater infrastructure to facilitate future development in the county’s towns and villages.
This investment makes critical wastewater flow and load data available on a consistent basis for the first time ever, helping to improve the performance of the treatment plants while also helping protect the waterways into which treated wastewater is discharged. When it is completed, plant operators and engineers will have the data and tools to enable them to better manage the treatment processes, measure performance and react quicker to any sudden changes such as a storm event.
There are three separate contracts underway in the region. The first has been completed and represented an investment of €1.7 million in Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Monaghan and Sligo.
A second contract worth €500,000 is currently underway in parts of in Cavan, Galway, Monaghan and Roscommon and a third contract also costing €500,000 is taking place in Donegal and Mayo.
The programme involves the installation of flow measurement devices, storm event recorders and sampling equipment at treatment plants in strategic locations around the region. This project will also ensure compliance with EPA Wastewater Discharge Authorisations with respect to monitoring and sampling requirements.
This project is being rolled out under a national flow monitoring and sampling programme where approximately €10m is being invested across 400 wastewater treatment plants of varying sizes to comply with EPA licence requirements. This will help build flow and load profiles which in turn will help form strategies for upgrading, maintaining, improving plant efficiencies and ensuring we identify early where investment is required to meet future demands on wastewater infrastructure.
Irish Water’s Capital Programmes Regional Lead, John McElwaine, said: “Protecting Ireland’s waterways and coastal areas is a key priority for us. We collect wastewater from over 1,000 separate communities and treat around 1.6 billion litres of wastewater daily before safely discharging it back into our rivers, harbours and coastal areas. This project will allow us to monitor and improve the quality of this discharge, thereby protecting our coasts and waterways.
“It will also allow us to determine the capacity requirements of our treatment plants to facilitate the growth of new communities and businesses. It offers significant benefits for public health, the environment and economic development.”