Irish Water is investing millions of euros in a programme to improve flow monitoring and performance sampling equipment in wastewater treatment plants across Ireland.
The national flow monitoring and sampling programme will see €10m invested across 400 wastewater treatment plants of varying sizes, in order to comply with EPA licence requirements.
Irish Water says that the work will collect build flow and load data which will help the company put together its strategies for upgrading, maintaining and improving plant efficiency as well as ensuring that it can identify early where investment is required to meet future demands.
The investment will allow the company to make wastewater flow and load data available on a consistent basis for the first time.
When the programme is completed, plant operators and engineers will have the data and tools to enable them to better manage the treatment processes, measure performance and react quicker to any sudden changes such as a storm event, says Irish Water.
The programme involves the installation of flow measurement devices, storm event recorders and sampling equipment, ensuring compliance with EPA Wastewater Discharge Authorisations with respect to monitoring and sampling requirements.
As part of the programme, €2.7m million has been invested in sampling equipment in wastewater treatment plants across the North and West region.
There are three separate contracts under way in the region. The first has been completed and represented an investment of €1.7 million in Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Monaghan and Sligo.
A second contract worth €500,000 is under way in parts of in Cavan, Galway, Monaghan and Roscommon and a third, also costing €500,000, is taking place in Donegal and Mayo.
Irish Water is also spending €935,000 in flow monitoring and performance sampling equipment in wastewater treatment plants across the East and Midlands
Under the East and Midlands Flow Monitoring and Sampling programme, flow measurement devices, storm event recorders and sampling equipment will be installed in 56 wastewater treatment plants.
John McElwaine, Irish Water’s Capital Programmes Regional Lead, said: “Protecting Ireland’s waterways and coastal areas is a key priority for Irish Water. Currently we collect wastewater from more than 1,000 separate communities connected to the wastewater network and treat around 1.6 billion litres of wastewater daily before safely discharging it back into our rivers, harbours and coastal areas.
“This project will allow us to monitor and improve the quality of this discharge, thereby protecting our coasts and waterways.
“It will also allow us to determine the capacity requirements of our treatment plants to facilitate the growth of new communities and businesses. Overall it offers significant benefits for public health, the environment and economic development.”
