A €7M investment has resulted in the addition of a new wastewater treatment plant in Liscannor.
An official event to mark the addition of the infrastructure took place outside the pumping station adjacent to Liscannor Bay in glorious sunshine on Tuesday morning.
Working in partnership with Clare County Council, Uisce Éireann constructed the new wastewater treatment plant and associated infrastructure which has ended the discharge of raw sewage into Liscannor Bay.
EPS Group carried out the works on behalf of Uisce Éireann. The project included the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant which will serve a population equivalent of 1,790; the construction of a storm water storage tank as well as a new pump station with emergency storage; the construction of approximately 1.3km of sewer pipelines; the connection to the existing outfall pipe to safely discharge treated wastewater into Liscannor Bay.
Programme Manager with Uisce Éireann, Esther White said the strategic investment “puts an end to the discharge of untreated wastewater into Liscannor Bay. It will also support social and economic development, while also protecting the integrity of our environment”.
She acknowledged that Liscannor was famed nationally and internationally for its marine environment. “The completion of the Liscannor Wastewater Treatment Plant will also ensure compliance with wastewater discharge regulations as well as improving water quality. Furthermore, it will protect and enhance the local marine environment which Liscannor is famed for nationally and internationally”.
Mayor of Clare, Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) commented that the addition of the infrastructure was “long overdue” and that he was hopeful for continued investment in wastewater across the county. “It is vital to provide a platform for future growth into the community, stopping the discharge of raw sewage in Liscannor has long been a goal of Clare County Council”. He added, “the provision of adequate wastewater infrastructure needs to be planned and implemented now so we are ready to meet the opportunities of the coming years”.
Along with Cllr Cooney, other political figures present at the event included Cathal Crowe TD (FF), Michael McNamara TD (IND), Senator Roisin Garvey (GP), Senator Timmy Dooley (FF), Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG), Cllr Shane Talty (FF) and Cllr Liam Grant (GP).
Acting Director of Services with the Council, Siobhan McNulty acknowledged the local authority staff who “for years have worked diligently in managing the very poor wastewater infrastructure we have in Liscannor”. She was confident the investment would protect “beautiful assets” like Liscannor Bay.
Wastewater delivery manager with Uisce Éireann, Michael Tinsley told the official opening that the utility company’s creation in 2014 saw it inherit “a long history of underinvestment”. Soon after 50 locations where raw sewage was being discharged into the sea were identified, Liscannor was among them and is the twenty fourth in the list to now have a treatment plant.
Daniel O’Gorman who lives locally worked on the treatment plant from the early design stages right to its completion in his role as a senior resident engineer. “As someone who has lived in the area for over 10 years, I’m very honoured to have been involved in delivering this project for Liscannor. I have gotten great joy out of surfing in Liscannor Bay. I am thrilled that this infrastructure has ended the discharge of raw sewage to Liscannor Bay and am proud that our team’s collective contribution will have a very positive effect on the environment of the bay and our beautiful county.
“In recent years, in particular, I’ve noticed a real appetite to conserve the sensitive waters of the area and a lot of work has been done by voluntary groups through beach clean-ups and other great community based initiatives so it’s fantastic that this is another major step in protecting the environment of the place we love. Also, the wastewater treatment plant is sized to a significant capacity to allow for future social, housing and economic development within the area, so this is also a source of great satisfaction,” he added.
