18 October 2004
WATER SERVICE TO INVEST £19 MILLION IN ARDS COUNCIL AREA
DRD Water Service, today announced plans to start projects, worth £19 million, in the Ards area, over the next three years, as detailed in the capital works programme, which was presented to the Borough Council.
Charles Hamilton, from Water Service Customer Services, said: "Investment of £3 billion, over the next 20 years, is required to protect public health, meet European standards on water quality, respond to increasing demand and upgrade infrastructure.
"This investment programme is already underway and the Government has allocated around £590 million to invest in water and sewerage services up to 2006, throughout Northern Ireland.
"Local projects include the £2.45 million Wastewater Treatment Works to serve Whiterock and Killinchy, which is currently out to tender. This important scheme will ensure that the quality of discharges to Strangford Lough, meet increasingly demanding national and European regulations and that the Works can cope with development in the area. Other Wastewater Treatment schemes, scheduled to start in the next two years, include Lisbarnet, Ballygowan and Lougheries."
Mr Hamilton also detailed a £9.6 million scheme of trunk and distribution watermains, to transfer water from the Aquarius trunk main to the area. This scheme will improve the water infrastructure of the area.
He said: "This is part of the continuing upgrade of the water distribution infrastructure and the zonal studies of the water distribution system in the Ards North, Newtownards Town, Ballygowan, Lough Cowey and Comber supply zones, will lead to an extensive programme of watermain schemes, which will improve and maintain water quality in the area. In addition, existing minor watermain extensions and renewals are progressing through design and construction stages."
The Minister, John Spellar, MP, recently announced proposals for domestic charges for water and sewerage services, including protection for low income households and changes to the current non-domestic charging arrangements. These reforms, including the commencement of phasing in of the new charges, are to be implemented from 2006/7, or as soon as practicable thereafter.
An Integrated Impact Assessment of the Water Reform proposals, addressing matters such as equality and regulatory impacts, will be published for consultation in the autumn.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- Details of the proposals for domestic and non-domestic charges for water and sewerage services, can be found on www.waterreformni.gov.uk
- For media queries, contact Anne McGivern at the DRD Press Office on 028 9054 0004.
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