Fine Gael TD for Galway West and Mayo South, Seán Kyne has today welcomed the €94 million investment by Irish Water to upgrade Galway’s water and wastewater infrastructure through a range of projects spanning this year until 2019.
Commented Deputy Kyne: “€36 million is being invested to upgrade drinking water infrastructure in the City and County with €21 million to upgrade supply and improve quality on schemes including Leenane, An Cheathru Rua, Inis Óirr and Inis Meáin and ensure the refurbishment reservoirs across Galway and improvements to treatment plants at locations including An Spidéal.
“The investment also includes a €15 million Water Conservation and Watermains Rehabilitation Programme which will see the repair or replacement of 47 kilometres of defective mains in Galway—20km in the City and 27km in the County at locations including An Cheathru Rua, An Spideál, Oranmore and Athenry. The Programme will save 630 megalitres—or 630 million litres—of treated water per year.
The modern wastewater treatment plant in Montiagh pictured recently.
“Irish Water is also investing €58 million for new and upgraded wastewater infrastructure in Galway. This Programme is funding treatment plants for towns including Clifden—which is nearing completion—and Claregalway and upgrades to existing plants at Mutton Island in the City and Oughterard and Athenry, among others, in the County.
“Investment of this scale in our wastewater network will help end the discharge of untreated waste into rivers in Galway and off the Galway coast which will improve the environment and protect the water supply.
“The substantial investment is being made after decades of underinvestment in our water and wastewater services.
“Undoubtedly this investment will be welcomed by public representatives who are opposed to paying for treated water and the proper and safe disposal of wastewater. It must, however, be recognised that this substantial and necessary investment is only possible through the combination of central Government funding and the revenue being collected by Irish Water through the payment of water charges by many citizens across Galway.”
Projects included in the investment in the Water Supply Network
| Drinking Water Quality & Supply |
| Project |
Approximate Investment |
Target Completion |
Details |
| Tuam RWSS Extension |
€9m |
2019 |
Proposals are being developed to extend Tuam RWSS network, supplied from Luimnagh WTP, to Loughrea and to the existing public schemes at Glenamaddy, Dunmore-Glenamaddy and to Kilkerrin-Moylough Galway. This will address the water quality deficiencies on these schemes and provide security of supply for 14,000 customers. |
| Leenane water supply scheme |
€0.75m |
2016 |
Design and planning works are progressing to provide an enhanced organic removal process stream to address the current deficiencies on this scheme and allow the removal of this scheme from the EPA’s RAL and allow for the removal of the boil water notice from this scheme. |
| Carraroe Water Treatment Works |
€0.75m |
2016 |
Design and planning works are progressing to upgrade the treatment process at this plant and remove this supply from the EPA’s RAL. |
| Williamstown |
€7m |
Q1 2017 |
Irish Water appointed a contractor in July 2015 to install a temporary UV unit at the water treatment plant in Williamstown. These works are programmed to be complete in November 2015. The UV unit is intended as a temporary measure which, following a period of process proving and approval from the HSE and EPA, will allow for the boil water notice to be removed. Irish Water is also putting in place a long term solution to the issues in Williamstown consisting of an extension of the Lough Mask Regional Water Supply Service from Ballyhaunis to Williamstown. This is programmed for completion in Q1 2017. |
| Inis Óirr and Inis Meáin |
€1m |
2017 |
Irish Water is currently assessing a long term solution to provide sufficient and sustainable drinking water for both islands to meet both normal and peak tourism season demands. |
| Reservoir Refurbishment Programme |
€1.5m |
Q3 2016 |
In March 2015 under the Minor Programme Service Reservoir Refurbishment programme Irish water appointed a contractor to survey and refurbish existing service reservoir sites at Coolagh Old Service Reservoir, Ahascragh Water Tower, Ballybane reservoir, Briarhill Reservoir, Eglish Reservoir, Kilconnell Reservoir, Killimor Water Tower, Kingstown Reservoir, Lurgan Reservoir, Portumna Water Tower, Ballygar Water Tower, Ballygar Clear Water Tank, Mountbellow Reservoir and Terryland WTP Clearwater channel. The works are programmed for completion in August 2016. |
| Disinfection Programme |
€0.75m |
June 2016 |
Irish Water is progressing the upgrade of the disinfection processes at water treatment plants throughout County Galway in line with Irish Waters disinfection specification. These works are programmed for completion by June 2016. |
| Ballinasloe, Gort, Spiddal Water Treatment Plant Upgrades |
€0.4m |
|
Upgrade works at each of the plants are being progressed by Irish Water as part of Minor Programmes Process Optimisation and Control Programme. Irish Water have carried out an assessment of each of the Water Treatment Plants based on the Drinking Water Safety Plan and are at design stage and construction works are anticipated to commence on site by March 2016. |
| Portumna Water Treatment Plant Upgrade |
€0.4m |
|
Works are being progressed by Irish Water as part of Minor Programmes Process Optimisation and Control Programme. Irish Water has carried out an assessment on the Water Treatment Plant based on the Drinking Water Safety Plan and has listed a number of recommendations for the Plant Upgrade. The project is presently at contract award stage with construction anticipated to start by December 2015. |
| Water Conservation and Watermains Rehabilitation |
| Ballinasloe Watermain Rehabilitation and Sewerage Network Upgrade |
(Included in €11 million investment in wastewater in Ballinasloe) |
Q1 2016 |
This includes the upgrade of approximately 8km of water mains in Ballinasloe, Oranmore, Athenry and Headford and a 2.4km sewer network upgrade in Ballinasloe. This will improve water supply for approximately 9,500 customers. |
| Galway County Water Conservation |
€7m |
Q3 2017 |
This includes the upgrade of approximately 19km of water mains in Carraroe, Loughrea, Spiddal and Inishmore. Construction works will commence in Q1 2016. |
| Galway City Water Conservation |
€7.3m |
Q3 2018 |
This will include the upgrade of approximately 20km of defective watermains in Galway city. Site investigation work will begin in January 2016 with construction work due to commence at Q1 2017. Sections of water mains in the poorest condition will be replaced first with the project expected to be completed in Q3 2018. |
| Thomas Hynes Road Water Mains Replacement |
€0.42m |
2015 |
Irish Water appointed a contractor in June 2015 to commence works to replace the watermain on the Thomas Hynes Road. These works are required to alleviate supply problems in the area which occurred last year and earlier this year. The works are programmed for completion by November 2015. |
| External Leak Repairs |
€0.5m |
|
The Galway County and Galway City External leak repair contracts are at contract award stage. The Contractor will be engaged by Irish Water to provide services associated with the leak repairs and installation of new valves, chambers, associated pipework and all required ancillary works in Galway County and Galway City area. |
Projects included in the investment in the Wastewater Infrastructure
| Project |
Approximate Investment |
Target Completion |
Details |
| Clifden Wastewater Infrastructure |
€7.75m |
November 2015 |
Up until now, Clifden has been serviced by a combined storm water/sewage drainage network and a waste water treatment plant that provided only basic primary treatment before discharging into Clifden Bay. This outdated infrastructure was also operating beyond capacity and unable to cater for existing or future population growth. A complete overhaul of the wastewater infrastructure in Clifden is nearing completion. This has included the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant and a significant upgrade of the sewerage network. The network upgrades were completed earlier in 2015 and the wastewater treatment plant is due to be completed in November 2015. |
| Kinvara Wastewater Infrastructure |
€5.1m |
Early 2017 |
Currently in Kinvara, wastewater is collected and discharged, untreated, to Kinvara Bay via a defective outfall pipe. Irish Water has prioritised delivery of a number of contracts to rectify this situation. The works include a new wastewater treatment plant and marine outfall pipe, new sewers and the rehabilitation of defective sewers and manholes. Construction on this essential project will begin in early 2016. By early 2017 all works are expected to be complete. |
| Mutton Island Treatment Plant |
€5.7m |
December 2015 |
The Mutton Island wastewater treatment plant, the main wastewater treatment plant for Galway City, is currently being upgraded from 91,600 PE (population equivalent) to 170,000 PE. The construction works, which are scheduled for completion in December 2015, will deliver:
- increased treatment capacity by economical reconfiguration and modifications to existing process units
- enhanced energy recovery using combined heat and power (CHP) units.
- significant savings in terms of annual operating costs.
|
| Claregalway & Milltown |
€5.6m |
Q2 2016 |
Work is well underway on two new modern wastewater treatment plants for the villages of Claregalway and Milltown. 5.2km of a new foul sewer network collection system has already been completed. The towns of 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. |
| Oughterard Treatment Plant |
€3m |
2017 |
An upgrade of the existing wastewater treatment plant at Oughterard will go to tender in December 2015. This project is required in order to address the current out dated plant which has operated well beyond capacity for many years. The upgraded wastewater treatment plant will result in a significant improvement in water quality, will allow for growth and will reduce the risk of pollution to the Owenriff River and Lough Corrib, one of the premier fishing lakes in the country and the drinking water source for much of Galway City and County. |
| Ballinasloe |
€11m |
2017 |
A major upgrade of water services infrastructure is ongoing in Ballinasloe. The upgrade work is being progressed by way of two Contracts. Contract 1 which commenced in March 2015 is on site at present and includes the upgrade of parts of the sewer network and the rehabilitation of watermains. Contract 2 will be carried out in tandem with street enhancement works by Galway County Council, with Irish Water is funding upgrades to the sewer network and watermains as part of this contract. Works on Contract 2 are expected to commence in Q2 2016 with completion in late 2017. |
| Upgrade of Sewerage Schemes Across the County |
Approximately €20m |
2017 |
In addition to the above, Irish Water is advancing wastewater projects at Athenry, Glenamaddy, Ballygar, Mountbellew and Spiddal. The planned works will address defective collection networks and wastewater treatment infrastructure at these locations. |
| Tuam Wastewater Treatment Plant |
€0.3m |
(Construction estimated to start in March 2016) |
Irish Water has carried out an assessment on the wastewater treatment plant and has listed a number of recommendations for the plant Upgrade. The project is presently at design stage with construction anticipated to start by March 2016 |
