by Alan Jacques
IRISH Water have committed to upgrading the sewerage scheme in Athea.
And Ireland’s water utility company also plan to use the scheme in County Limerick as a pilot project for schemes of a similar nature across the country.
Welcoming the announcement, local Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan said that Irish Water carried out a review of existing proposals for the Athea Wastewater Treatment Works as well as an on-site inspection and determined that a re-scoped project would be both sufficient and viable.
Irish Water will now appoint a consultant to design an upgrade of the existing plant over the coming weeks. This will accommodate the upgraded works on the existing site and will provide full secondary treatment in the most sustainable manner.
“They envisage that the design works will take three months and on completion of detailed design and receipt of planning permission, they expect that they will be able to deliver an operational plant within 12 months,” he said.
Irish Water will also be carrying out a separate review of the existing pumping station in Athea and core elements of the network, so that these can be addressed in tandem with the plant.
“We know that untreated and partially treated effluent is being pumped out from local authority operated waste water treatment plants. This would not be tolerated if it was from industry or farms and yet for years nothing was done. I’m glad that Athea is being prioritised and the model used there will be replicated across the country,” Deputy O’Donovan added.
