Irish Water has awarded a €4.6 million contract to upgrade the Athlone Wastewater Treatment Plant to Ireland-headquartered EPS Ltd – the group also operates in the UK and mainland Europe.
Construction is scheduled to begin in November and is expected to take approximately twelve months to complete. The contract forms part of Irish Water’s investment in the wastewater infrastructure in Athlone.
A separate project is underway to address deficiencies in the sewerage network in the town and to reduce overflows to the River Shannon – the project is expected to go out to tender next year.
The Athlone Wastewater Treatment Plant project will upgrade the existing wastewater treatment plant in Athlone which is currently operating over capacity. The current plant was constructed to cater for a population equivalent (PE) of 27,000 and upon completion the upgraded plant will cater for a (PE) of 36,000.
Commenting on the project Paul Fallon, Wastewater Treatment Programmes Specialist, said:
“Irish Water is committed to investing in the wastewater infrastructure in Athlone and is progressing two separate projects to address the wastewater needs of the town. The current wastewater treatment plant in Athlone is operating over capacity and this investment will ensure that the upgraded wastewater treatment plant will support and facilitate the future needs of the town as the population and economy grows. Irish Water will continue to keep residents, businesses and the wider community informed as the two projects progress”.
The project forms part of Irish Water’s investment plan where over €530 million will be invested in upgrading water services in 2016 to improve the country’s water and wastewater infrastructure.
Works have been prioritised to address the most critical issues in line with commitments outlined in Irish Water’s recently published business plan. Delivery of the business plan will involve a €5.5 billion investment in capital spending on drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure up to 2021.
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