News Release Page Title

31 March 2005

WATER SERVICE INVESTS £37 MILLION IN NEW NORTH COAST WASTE WATER TREATMENT WORKS

Katharine Bryan, Chief Executive of Water Service, today announced the start of a new £37 million scheme to construct the new North Coast Waste Water Treatment Works at Craigtown More, between Portrush and Portstewart. This will treat sewage from Castlerock, Articlave, Coleraine, Portstewart and Portrush.

Welcoming the announcement, Regional Development Minister, John Spellar, MP, said: "The new Works is part of a significant investment to upgrade Northern Ireland’s water and sewerage infrastructure. Government has allocated around £735 million up to 2008, to build on the good progress already made towards providing modern services that will meet customers needs well into the future.

"We need £3 billion over the next 20 years to protect public health, meet European standards on water quality and respond to increasing demand. Without water and sewerage charges we cannot sustain this investment, unless we take money away from other priority services."

Katharine Bryan said: "The scheme will significantly improve the coastal water quality, protecting the local environment and will accommodate future residential, commercial, tourism and industrial growth in the area, for the next 25 years.

"Water Service is committed to protecting the environment and this scheme will also ensure compliance with the EU Bathing Water and Urban Waste Water Treatment Directives. We have made significant improvements in compliance on discharges from Water Service waste water facilities, from 58% in 2001 to 70% in 2003, through increased investment in the water and sewerage infrastructure and improved operational procedures."

The scheme also includes nine pumping stations, 15 miles of pumping mains and the decommissioning of existing waste water treatment works at Articlave and Coleraine. Final effluent will be discharged through a 1200-metre long sea outfall, off Rinagree point.

Design work on the project is well advanced, with completion programmed for spring 2007.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

  1. The treatment process consists of screening, grit removal, primary settlement, activated sludge secondary treatment and final settlement.

  2. The preferred bidder for the contract is a consortium of Biwater Ltd and Graham Ltd.

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