NI Water has completed a major £19.5 million project to extend the existing site at Ballinrees Water Treatment Works, outside Coleraine.
The major programme of work commenced in March 2023 and involved the construction of a new treatment building to improve water treatment standards and provide additional water storage in the event of an emergency. The investment also included a new pumping station to improve the overall efficiency of the works.
The upgrade will help improve water quality and security of supply for customers in the Coleraine area, supplying towards Portrush/Ballymoney and also supplying parts of Limavady and Derry/Londonderry, ensuring the water supply continues to meet essential Drinking Water Regulations.
Tzvetelina Bogoina NI Water Director of Infrastructure Delivery said:
“We are delighted that this major investment at Ballinrees is now complete, which will bring many benefits to customers in the wider Coleraine area, including improved drinking water quality and security of supply.
“This key improvement scheme will protect and future-proof the local water infrastructure for customers, businesses and tourism in the area by boosting the resilience and providing additional security of the water supply network. This will provide essential support, particularly in the event of a high demand or other emergency situation.
“This is an excellent example of how NI Water can deliver multi-million-pound projects on time and within budget for the people of Northern Ireland.”
Bernadette Corr, Chief Drinking Water Inspector at Northern Ireland Environment Agency added:
“I welcome the investment by NI Water in upgrading Ballinrees Water Treatment Works, which will ensure compliance with the enforcement notices issued by the Department’s Drinking Water Inspectorate.
“These improvements will help to protect and enhance the quality of drinking water supplied to consumers, strengthen regulatory compliance, improve the wholesomeness and consumer acceptability of the drinking water, and help to safeguard public health.”
The upgrade was delivered in a carefully planned sequence to allow the works to remain operational throughout. As part of the programme, new assets were constructed (a new GAC treatment building and new pumping station) and then commissioned and tested before being brought into service, ensuring no customers were out of supply while the upgrade was completed.
NI Water’s contractor DLJ Water Ltd delivered the major scheme with project management support from RPS Tetratech.
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