Water Service Invests Ł11 Million in Magherafelt Council Area

9 November 2004
WATER SERVICE INVESTS Ł11 MILLION IN MAGHERAFELT COUNCIL AREA
DRD Water Service, today, announced plans to start projects worth Ł8.7 million in the Magherafelt area, over the next three years. This is in addition to the Ł750,000 completed this year and the Ł1.6 million under construction.

William Duddy, Director of Customer Services, and Joe Little, Area Networks Manager for Water Service, presented the details of the capital works programme to Magherafelt District Council.

William Duddy said: "Investment of Ł3 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 Ł590 million to invest in water and sewerage services up to 2006, throughout Northern Ireland.

"Local projects include the Ł600,000 upgrading of Magherafelt Wastewater Treatment Works, that will ensure that discharges will meet increasingly stringent EU standards and will cater for future development in the area. Feasibility studies are ongoing for the replacement or upgrading of eight other wastewater treatment works in the area and these are programmed to start in the next two years."

Mr Duddy explained that watermain zonal studies and drainage area studies will lead to an extensive programme of improvements to the watermain and sewer networks in the area. He also added that the Moyola Water Treatment Works scheme, which is in the Public Private Partnership programme, is due to be commissioned in 2008.

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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