Irish Water marked the official opening of the Cavan Wastewater Treatment Plant yesterday, following a €14.5 million upgrade to the plant by the national utility.
The water company has also invested €9.5 million in upgrading the Cavan sewerage network. The two projects combined will provide Cavan town with a state of the art wastewater collection and treatment system, benefiting local residents and businesses.
The plant, was officiallly opened by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys, TD.
The works included the upgrading of the existing treatment plant which was built in 1989 to cater for a population equivalent of 20,000 to now cater for a population equivalent of 30,000. Upgrades were also carried out to the pumping stations and storm water tanks. The sewerage network project involved the construction of 13 kilometres of new wastewater collection network. A storm water retention tank was also constructed in the centre of Cavan town.
As well as facilitating long term economic growth and population development, the works will reduce the frequency of untreated wastewater spills from the collection network thereby improving water quality in the Cavan River. The quality of treated discharge to the Cavan River will comply with the standards set down by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Glan Agua Ltd were the contractors for the design and construction of the wastewater treatment plant while P&S Civil Works oversaw the upgrading and extension of the wastewater collection network. The construction and commissioning took 16 months.
The process installed is cutting edge, allowing the plant to be operated on instruments with new technology dealing with nitrogen removal, the first of its kind in Ireland, and state of the art process control allowing 24 hour monitoring and alarm dial out facilities to deal with emergencies.
Speaking at the official opening Irish Water’s Infrastructure Portfolio Delivery Manager, Michael Tinsley, said:
“Today marks a significant milestone in Irish Water’s investment in the wastewater infrastructure for Cavan town. The investment will ensure that Cavan’s wastewater is collected and treated to the highest environmental standard while at the same time allowing for future growth in local population and economic activity."
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
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