Water service unveils latest EU quality target projects

Further details of the major Capital Works Programmes planned for the next three years have been unveiled by the Water Service.

With several projects already underway and many more at the design stage, the Water Service need to make investments of around £3 billion in the next 20 years if Northern Ireland’s water and sewerage infrastructure is to meet increasing customer demands and comply with European Directives.

The Minister with responsibility for Regional Development, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Angela Smith, said she has been struck by the magnitude of the investment deficit facing Northern Ireland’s water and sewerage services.

The Minister said: "Approximately £3 billion must be invested in these key services over the next 20 years to comply with increasingly rigorous European Directives on Water Quality, respond to increasing demand for water and sewerage services, safeguard public health and replace ageing infrastructure."

The Down District Council area, which has a major project, the Aquarius pipeline of which the second stage is ongoing, is to receive £43 million in funding. A £28 million project for water treatment works at the Silent Valley is due to for completion by the end of 2004, £4 million is being spent on watermains in the area, and £3 million on infrastructure improvements.

In the Lisburn City area £26 million is to be invested. Around £5 million is to be spent on infrastructure improvements in the Lisburn area this year where design is underway for the construction of a new waste water treatment works in Glenavy and at Aghalee.

In the Dungannon and South Tyrone area £23 million has been earmarked for projects, with proposals for an upgrade to the Waste Water Treatment Works at Moygashel and the rationalisation of the sewage treatment facilities at Mullinakill, Clontyclay and Tamnamore.

In the Ballymoney area schemes valued at £8 million are proposed with a total of £2.4 million in projects either commenced or are due to start within the current financial year.

The Newtownabbey area is to receive investments on various projects totalling £5.3 million this year.

Last month various other schemes were outlined including a £21 million investment in the Strabane area where two wastewater treatment facilities are planned.

(SP)