Irish Water is submitting a planning application to Fingal County Council to upgrade the existing sewer network serving Blanchardstown – the Blanchardstown Regional Drainage Scheme will help protect the environment in the Tolka Valley.
The project, which represents an investment of approximately €50 million by Irish Water, will be located along the Tolka River Valley in Blanchardstown and includes the construction of a new pumping station at Waterville, approximately 3.2kms of new sewer pipelines using trenchless tunnelling techniques and the construction of underground storage tanks with a total combined capacity of approximately 30,000m³.
A new below ground pumping station with above ground control room will be constructed on the site of the existing Tolka Valley Park Pumping Station at Waterville. A new control building to house all electrical switchgear, control equipment, an odour control unit, a generator room and ESB sub-station.
The investment will expand the existing capacity of the wastewater network in the area to facilitate existing and future residential and commercial growth.
The project will also benefit the environment as the increased sewer capacity will reduce the frequency and volume of overflows of untreated wastewater from the network into the River Tolka.
The existing sewer network, which was originally constructed in the Tolka Valley in the 1970s, does not have the capacity to serve the needs of the fast growing population and is subject to flows which results in untreated wastewater overflows from the sewer network to the River Tolka.
Irish Water carried out site investigation works in Autumn 2016 on the proposed route, which have informed the design, construction methods and contributed to the Environmental Impact Statement. Irish Water is now submitting the planning application to Fingal County Council.
Commenting on the project Paul Fallon, Wastewater Infrastructure Manager at Irish Water said the proposed project will expand the existing capacity of the wastewater network in the area to facilitate existing and future residential and commercial growth.
Irish Water spent over €530 million on water services in 2016. Capital investment in the region of €700 million per year is needed for a sustained period of several decades to address the poor condition of Ireland’s water infrastructure. Works have been prioritised to address the most critical issues in line with commitments outlined in Irish Water’s Business Plan up to 2021.
Delivery of the business plan will involve a €5.5 billion investment in capital spending on drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure up to 2021 while achieving efficiencies of €1.6 billion.
Planning application to be submitted for new Kilmacrenan Wastewater Treatment Plant
Irish Water will also separately be submitting a planning application to Donegal County Council in the coming weeks for upgrade works at Kilmacrenan Wastewater Treatment Plant.
If granted, the project will involve the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant which will allow the existing plant, which is operating above its capacity, to be decommissioned.
The proposed works at Kilmacrenan will also involve the construction of a new outfall to the Lurgy River, a new boundary fence and upgrade works to the existing entrance road. The project will also involve raising the site to prevent flooding from the adjacent Lurgy River.
The new plant will double the current capacity and allow for sustainable economic and population development over the next 25 years. One of the other major benefits of the new plant is that it will ensure that treated effluent complies with the emission limit values outlined in the wastewater discharge license issued by the EPA.
The project is part of the County Donegal Towns & Villages Sewerage Schemes and represents significant investment by Irish Water.
It follows on from other sewerage projects already in progress in County Donegal including Ballybofey/Stranorlar Sewage Scheme, Glenties/Dungloe Wastewater Treatment Plants and the Donegal Group B Sewerage Scheme which includes new wastewater treatment plants at Killybegs, Bundoran, Glencolmcille and Convoy.
The projects represent a combined €30.8 million investment by Irish water in the upgrade of wastewater infrastructure in Donegal.
Irish Water will submit a planning permission application to Donegal County Council in the coming weeks in order to deliver the necessary upgrade works. If the application is approved the contract for the construction of the Kilmacrenan Wastewater Treatment Plant will go to tender in the third quarter of 2018.
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