Irish Water has been granted a foreshore licence for the marine site investigation works to progress the development of a new wastewater treatment plant for Arklow.

The marine site investigation works include archaeological surveys, ecological surveys and geotechnical surveys and will be carried out in Arklow Bay and the estuary of the Avoca River. The works will enable the team to progress with the preliminary design of the proposed marine outfall pipe in the bay and the intake pipe crossing the Avoca River.

Irish Water is working in partnership with Wicklow County Council to deliver the Arklow wastewater treatment plant project – the investment of over €30 million by Irish Water will bring benefits to over 15,000 residents in Arklow.

The preliminary designs for the proposed new wastewater treatment plant will be shared with the community in advance of the planning application to ensure that local feedback is incorporated into the plans.

Currently, untreated wastewater is discharged into the Avoca River which flows through Arklow Town.

The proposed project will include:

• A new wastewater treatment plant to treat wastewater for a population equivalent of 36,000
• Interceptor sewer pipelines along the North and South quays to bring untreated wastewater to the wastewater treatment plant
• A marine outfall pipe to safely discharge treated effluent to the Irish Sea.

Commenting on the project Michael Tinsley, Infrastructure Portfolio Delivery Manager at Irish Water, said:

 “We are pleased to progress the marine surveys, which will provide us with the necessary information to design the new marine outfall pipeline for the proposed Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant. This project is vital to address the discharging of untreated wastewater into the River Avoca. We will continue to update the local community on the project as it progresses”.