NI Water completes major reservoir safety improvement works at Coleraine’s Dunalis Reservoir

NI Water has completed a major reservoir safety improvement scheme at Dunalis Reservoir, outside Coleraine.

The scheme is part of a wider £6 million package of work to upgrade key reservoirs across Northern Ireland.

NI Water is pleased to announce the successful completion of a major reservoir safety improvement scheme at Dunalis Reservoir, outside Coleraine, as part of an investment programme to enhance the safety and resilience of this impounding reservoir. This scheme is part of a wider £6 million package of work to upgrade key reservoirs across Northern Ireland.

placeholder image — NI Water is pleased to announce the successful completion of a major reservoir safety improvement scheme at Dunalis Reservoir, outside Coleraine, as part of an investment programme to enhance the safety and resilience of this impounding reservoir. This scheme is part of a wider £6 million package of work to upgrade key reservoirs across Northern Ireland.

The project involved the replacement and enlargement of the reservoir’s spillway channel, a critical piece of infrastructure designed to safely convey excess water during periods of exceptionally heavy rainfall.

The upgraded spillway has been specifically engineered to discharge extreme flood flows, significantly increasing the reservoir’s capacity to safely manage severe weather events and helping to ensure compliance with current reservoir safety standards.

The project team at Dunalis Reservoir (from left) David Bell AECOM, James McGrath BSG, Kelly Thomas AECOM, Andrew Stewart NI Water, Alan Lavery AECOM, Mark Richardson NI Water, and Colum O’Hare AECOM.

While Dunalis Reservoir is not used for the supply of drinking water, NI Water maintains all ‘impounding reservoirs’ within its ownership and is committed to ensuring they continue to operate safely and effectively.

An impounding reservoir is an artificial lake or body of water created by building a dam or structure across a river or natural stream to hold back, store, and regulate the flow of water.

Regular inspections and ongoing investment are essential to safeguarding these structures while protecting the communities and environment around them.

Welcoming the completion of the project, NI Water’s Senior Project Manager Mark Richardson said: “Investment in infrastructure such as this is essential. These improvements will continue to serve the community long after the construction teams have left site, helping to safeguard the reservoir and the environment for future generations.

"We would like to thank local stakeholders for their patience and cooperation while the works were being undertaken, as well as our project partners AECOM and BSG for their expertise and commitment in delivering this important scheme safely and successfully.”

The scheme was delivered as part of NI Water’s long-term programme of reservoir safety improvements across Northern Ireland. Consulting engineering firm AECOM provided design, project management, and site supervision services throughout the project, while specialist civil engineering contractor BSG successfully undertook the construction works.

The completion of the Dunalis Reservoir spillway channel replacement represents another milestone in NI Water’s ongoing commitment to investing in critical infrastructure, addressing future challenges and ensuring reservoirs across Northern Ireland continue to operate safely for many years to come.