Bid to end Dublin Rd odours

IRISH Water are to look at introducing key features at the waste water treatment plant on the Marsh Road in a bid to limit odours from the system.

Residents in the wider Dublin Road area have complained of a strong smell on numerous occasions, sparking various investigations.

Now Irish Water are moving on the issue.

‘ The odour residents have had to endure over recent times has been entirely unacceptable. I raised the matter with management in Irish Water a number of months ago which led to an independent inspection which took place on September 12th,’ Fergus O’Dowd TD stated.

Irish Water now say the ‘odour control media’ at the plant is approaching its end of life and will be replaced. Reconditioning of the valves is required to control flow rates to ensure optimum contact time with odour media while a device to monitor odour media performance more closely will be installed. Pipelines are also to be cleaned.

‘ Timelines for the actions outlined above are currently being finalised with our contractors,’ they added.

During the summer, the main sewer network lines in the Wheaten Hall, Foxhill and Woodford areas of Drogheda were jetted and they say there were no complaints from these areas since then. There is a plan in place to undertake this on a 6 monthly basis as a preventative measure to mitigate against any potential network odours.

Irish Water encourage members of the public to report incidents of odour via a 24/7 call centre on 1850 278 278. Complaints are sent to both the Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Louth County Council for investigation.