Uisce Éireann has completed a €4 million wastewater treatment plant project for Spiddal in Galway which will eliminate the discharge of raw sewage from the village into Galway Bay.

Not only has In addition to eliminating the discharge of raw sewage, the new treatment plant will also be an enabler for housing and will support economic growth and development in the area.

Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council Cllr Liam Carroll commended the team at Uisce Éireann and Galway County Council who worked together as they navigated the project. Describing the plant as a vital piece of infrastructure for the locality, he commented:

“The value of a reliable wastewater service, in a manner that protects the natural environment, cannot be over emphasised. This plant is essential to the economic and social development of this area.”

The €4 million project includes the state of the art new wastewater treatment plant for a population equivalent of up to 1,000, a below ground pump station, new sewer pipelines to divert untreated wastewater to the new pumping station and onto the new wastewater treatment plant, and the reuse of the existing outfall pipe to safely discharge treated wastewater to Galway Bay in compliance with regulatory standards.

Mott MacDonald and Coffey Water Ltd, working on behalf of Uisce Éireann, delivered the works.

The completion of this project marks another major milestone in Uisce Éireann’s work to end the unacceptable practice of discharging untreated sewage into waterways and seas.

There are currently 11 more locations under construction including Ahascragh in Co Galway which will eliminate raw sewage discharging into the Bunowen (Ahascragh) River. This means that over 70% of all raw sewage discharges nationwide have now been eliminated, with the majority of the remainder set to end by 2025.