Claregalway and Milltown will benefit to the tune of €5.6 million with new wastewater treatment schemes confirmed for both areas by Irish Water in partnership with Galway County Council.
The construction of two new treatment plants has now started and 5.2 km of a new foul sewer collection system has already been completed. The whole project is expected to be completed by April 2016.
Work commencing at Droichead Beag in Mointeach this week.
Both Claregalway and Milltown currently have no municipal wastewater treatment facilities and rely on individual treatment systems within housing developments and septic tanks. This has given rise to significant environmental issues and a deterioration of the water quality in the River Clare.
Works will include the construction of the two new treatment plants, four new pumping stations, the upgrade of three existing pumping stations and the connection of housing estates to the new foul sewer collection system.
Once completed, the project will greatly improve the water quality of the River Clare and protect the conservation objectives of the River Corrib Special Area of Conservation.
The treatment capacity of each plant will also meet current and future residential and industrial development.
Claregalway is identified in the Galway County Development Plan in the top tier of planned future residential development centres in the county.
Sean Corrigan, Regional Information Officer North West Region, Irish Water says this will be a big boost to the communities in the two areas.
It will also deliver key environmental benefits with a high standard of wastewater treatment, capable of protecting the water quality of the River Clare.
“Irish Water is investing in a national programme to address the serious deficiencies in our wastewater infrastructure. We have inadequate treatment processes and in some cases untreated wastewater is being discharged directly into our rivers and waterways.
“This is unacceptable in a modern developing economy. Investment such as this in Claregalway and Milltown is long overdue and our priority is to ensure we identify and deliver projects that can yield the greatest benefit for the communities we serve,” he added.
