Turfs up in Clare as Irish Water turns the sod on new and upgraded wastewater treatment plans for Liscannor, Kilfenora and Kilrush. Photo: Eamon Ward.
An end is in sight to the water woes in Liscannor which have caused repeated beach closures at Lahinch.
Irish Water on Friday morning turned the sod on a new wastewater treatment plant for the village of Liscannor. Works are expected to take eighteen months to complete. Contracts have also been signed to provide wastewater treatment in both Kilfenora and Kilrush.
EPS Group will carry out the works in Liscannor which include the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant to serve a population equivalent of 1,790, the building of a storm water storage tank as well as a new pump station with emergency storage, the installation of approximately 1.3km of sewer pipelines and the connection to the existing outfall pipe to safely discharge treated wastewater into Liscannor Bay.
Headquartered in Mallow, EPS Group have also been awarded the contract for the works in Kilfenora and Kilrush. Their work here involves the decommissioning of the current Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kilfenora and the construction of a new plant that will serve the population equivalent of 330. In Kilrush, the plant will be significantly larger and will cater for a population equivalent of 8,500.
Programme Manager with Irish Water, Caroline O’Reilly said it was “a significant day for Co Clare and its natural environment”. She acknowledged that the projects had been in the pipeline for “many years”. Caroline explained, “These projects will eliminate the raw and poorly treated sewage that is flowing into their beautiful waterways and the Atlantic and will support social and economic development, while also protecting the integrity of our environment”.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) felt the investment was “long awaited”. He outlined, “These projects will result in improved quality of coastal and groundwaters, thereby helping to protect the environment and improve the quality of life in our communities. It is my hope that the people of Clare will build on these successful projects and that they will help to revitalise the economy and communities of West and North Clare.”
Senator Roisin Garvey (GP) heralded “a great day for Liscannor and the whole bay”. The Inagh woman continued, “It is super to see Irish Water recognising the badly needed infrastructure and committing to put in a state-of-the-art system with a much more realistic capacity than the old system”.
Lahinch surfer, Ollie O’Flaherty welcomed the infrastructural investment. He said, “In recent years, Liscannor Bay has had issues with water quality resulting in multiple beach closures in Lahinch, notably in summer months. These have a very negative economic effect on local business which rely heavily on the summer months. As a surfer and someone environmentally minded, I am conscious of the detrimental effect mankind can have on the ocean, so it’s important to make improvements where we can and protect this incredible, natural amenity”.
“Well documented deficiencies” in the existing system will now be addressed, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) flagged. “It will release the untapped potential of the village to develop over the coming decades. Building a year-round economy and living population which will support the great community of Liscannor”.
