Work completed on latest phase of £1M waterworks upgrade

by
Micheal McKenna
November 22, 2014

Work has been completed at Killeen Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) as part of a £1million package being invested by NI Water in upgrading wastewater treatment works in rural County Armagh.

The investment, which forms part of NI Water’s Rural Wastewater Investment Programme, has also allowed extensive refurbishment work to be undertaken at Dorsey, Lisnadill and Drumilly WwTWs and at Mountain View WwTW in Dromintee where work recently got underway.

Approximately £4million has been invested across Northern Ireland in the latest phase of the Rural Wastewater Investment Programme, a specially tailored package of work which has been designed to upgrade rural wastewater treatment systems serving populations of up to 250 people.

Welcoming the completion of upgrades at Killeen WwTW, Danny Kennedy said: “NI Water’s Rural Wastewater Investment Programme was set up to deliver widespread refurbishment of many minor wastewater works that span the length and breadth of Northern Ireland. I am very pleased to see that the current phase of the project is progressing well with the completion of Killeen and many other sites in the County Armagh area.

“Each project represents a significant investment in modernising wastewater treatment in rural areas to bring about environmental benefits for local communities. I look forward to continued progress on this essential project.”

Bill Gowdy, NI Water Director of Engineering Procurement added: “NI Water has designed and implemented bespoke state-of-the-art wastewater treatment systems to replace ageing filtration units and septic tanks, which over the years have become increasingly ineffective.

“This project will greatly improve wastewater services for our customers in the Armagh area and throughout Northern Ireland, including improved water quality in local rivers. The latest technology that has been used has already brought many environmental benefits, as well as facilitating future local development.

“The scale of the project has required extensive work in rural areas and often in private lands. We would like to take this opportunity to thank local people affected for their patience throughout this programme of work. I know the communities will enjoy the benefits of this work for many years to come.”

Two teams of specialist local contractors are involved in this project: A joint venture of BSG Civil Engineering (Maghera) and Williams Industrial Services (Mallusk) – with technical support from McAdam Design in Belfast.

Other sites upgraded in the County Armagh area as part of the latest phase of the RWwIP are: Killeen WwTW – £230,000; Lisnadill WwTW – £140,000; Dorsey WwTW – £201,000; Drumilly WwTW – £198,000; Mountain View – £322,000.

Photograph: (L-R) Bill Gowdy, Peter Ferguson (both NI Water), Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy, Robert Smith McAdam Design, Paul Davison and Catherine Watkins (both NI Water) pictured at Killen Wastewater Treatment Works.