‘£22.5m needed to upgrade’ borough’s waste water and water infrastructure

NI Water has said that investment of £22.5m is needed to upgrade Antrim and Newtownabbey’s waste water and water infrastructure.
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A meeting of the borough council on Monday evening was also told that this investent will begin to address sewer and waste water issues but it is “over and above” essential base maintenance costs,

During a presentation by NI Water officials, councillors were also told that further investment will be required within the council area to allow new housing and business development to proceed in some areas.

NI Water’s Head of Investment Management, Stephen Blockwell, said: “Our infrastructure plans over the 2021 – 2027 period for the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area requires £22.5m of investment to upgrade waste water and water assets.”

Park Street, Ballyclare. (Pic by Google).Park Street, Ballyclare. (Pic by Google).
Park Street, Ballyclare. (Pic by Google).

This will involve projects across the borough including a £14m treatment works at Whitehouse in Newtownabbey; a £1m waste water pumping station at Neillsbrook, Antrim; a £1.2m trunk main at Stiles in Antrim; treatment for a sewer overflow at Park Street, Ballyclare and a waste water pumping station at Glenavy Road, Crumlin.

Dr Brockwell continued: “This is over and above essential base maintenance investment associated with our assets This investment will begin to address the sewer and waste water capacity issues.

“However, we recognise that further investment will be required within the council area to allow new housing and business development to proceed in some areas.

“NI Water has an ambitious plan and significant and sustained investment is needed for waste water and water infrastructure across Northern Ireland.

“NI Water understands council growth ambitions, we know what needs done in each council area and we have the plan and the skills to deliver it. We just need funding certainty for this and future Price Control Periods.”

The meeting was told that development constraints and climate change are among key challenges for NI Water.

NI Water says that “historic under-investment in waste water systems” has resulted in economic restraints with “sustained investment” needed for 15 to 20 years.

Dr Brockwell told the meeting that NI Water works closely with developers and planners across the province to “maximise sewerage infrastructure”.

“We have been exploring all avenues,” he stated.

“We try to engage in pre-development inquiries. We have our waste water inquiries team. If there are constraints in the system, they look at ways to accommodate and this could be a short-term fix.”

However, he acknowledged that some planning applications will only be able to proceed after “major investment”.

Glengormley DUP councillor Ald Phillip Brett asked how current capacity can be increased.

He was told that there are initiatives to upgrade the sewerage network and there is work in the programme to address capacity at treatment works involving a £14m investment.

Ballyclare Ulster Unionist Cllr Norrie Ramsay asked if there is any upgrade to pumping stations scheduled in Ballyclare in line with ongoing house construction in the town.

He was told there was “no significant upgrade” planned for Ballyclare.

With regard to flooding at Park Street in Ballyclare town centre, Dr Brockwell reported that NI Water is “looking at various options” including “taking rainwater out of the system as a result of overflow issues” with works at a cost of £300,000 in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, councillors heard that Dunore Solar Farm in South Antrim represents a £7m investment to reduce NI Water’s carbon footprint. This consists of 24,000 solar panels on a 33-acre site at Lough Neagh which NI Water says is able to produce sufficient electricity to power one of Northern Ireland’s largest treatment plants.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter

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