Read what to do.

Uisce Éireann to submit planning application for an upgraded sewerage scheme in Rosses Point

20 November 2020

Uisce Éireann will submit a planning application in the coming weeks to Sligo County Council to construct an upgraded sewerage scheme in Rosses Point. The proposed project will bring benefits to Rosses Point and surrounding areas by improving water quality for all users and supporting economic and social development.

Uisce Éireann will deliver this project in partnership with Sligo County Council which will ultimately result in wastewater being pumped to Sligo wastewater treatment plant for appropriate treatment. The project will include the upgrading of Rosses Point Village pumping station and construction of a new underground stormwater storage tank. At Ballyweelin the current underperforming wastewater treatment plant will be decommissioned, and a new pumping station will be constructed. The capacity of the sewer network in Rosses Point will also be increased.

The new sewerage scheme will bring big benefits to Rosses Point and surrounding areas, including an enhancement of its amenity value and improving water quality for swimmers, surfers and all water users.

The project will ensure that all discharges are fully compliant with EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directives and Wastewater Discharge Licensing Emission Limit Values and will eliminate all non-compliant combined sewer overflows within the area. The pumping stations, storage tank and sewer pipes will all be sized to accommodate future population growth. This in turn will enhance the tourism and amenity value of Rosses Point and surrounding areas, while also providing a platform for future growth in the area.

Discussing the project, Eunan Canavan, Uisce Éireann’s Regional Delivery Lead, said: “Rosses Point is a go-to tourist destination in the North West Region renowned for its beaches, swimming, kitesurfing, paddle boarding and other water and land-based activities. This project will boost the area by enhancing the local environment, protecting health and supporting economic development.

Eunan continued “With tourism and water-based activities becoming ever more popular, the importance of providing effective treatment of wastewater cannot be overstated, both for those who live and work in the area and for the many visitors to this beautiful part of County Sligo.

Uisce Éireann, together with our partners in Sligo County Council, is confident that this scheme will bring significant benefits to Rosses Point and surrounding areas for years to come.

For more information on this and other projects, visit the Projects and Plans section of our website.

Significant capital investment is needed over a sustained period of several decades to address the poor condition of Ireland’s water and wastewater infrastructure. Works have been prioritised to address the most critical issues in line with commitments outlined in the Government’s Water Services Policy Statement and Uisce Éireann’s Strategic Funding Plan. Uisce Éireann has invested €3.8 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure to the end of 2019 and plans to invest a further €5.2 billion under its Capital Investment Programme from 2020 to 2024 in drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure.