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Site investigation works for Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant

Uisce Éireann today announced that it will commence site investigation works on Thursday, 11 August for the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant project.

Uisce Éireann is working in partnership with Wicklow County Council and Arup to deliver this project which will end the current practice of discharging untreated wastewater into the Avoca River. The project represents an investment of over €30 million by Uisce Éireann and will bring benefits to Arklow in terms of health, integrity of the environment and improved water quality for all.

The proposed project will include:

  • A new Wastewater Treatment Plant to treat wastewater for a population equivalent of 36,000 at Old Wallboard Factory, North Quay, Ferrybank
  • Interceptor sewer pipelines along the north and south quays to convey untreated wastewater to the Wastewater Treatment Plant
  • A marine outfall pipe to safely discharge treated effluent to the Irish Sea

The site investigation works will take approximately 12 weeks to complete and assist in the design of the wastewater treatment plant and the planning application. The project design team have scoped the necessary site investigation works to advance the design of the project, they include:

  • Minor site clearance
  • Site Investigation Surveys
  • Utility Surveys

These surveys will commence on Thursday and while many of the surveys will be on the Old Wall Board Factory site, it will be necessary for utility surveys and site investigation surveys to be undertaken on the North and South Quays. Uisce Éireann will endeavour to keep traffic disruption to a minimum and will provide advance notice on any major road closures that maybe required. Further details on the locations and potential impacts will be provided on the project webpage in a timely manner, in addition to local signage updates. Uisce Éireann, and our contractor, will work closely with Wicklow County Council and local residents and businesses to minimise the impact of the survey work.

Commenting on the project Michael Tinsley, Asset Programmes Manager at Uisce Éireann said “We are pleased to progress with these site investigation works, which will provide us with the necessary information to design the new wastewater treatment plant, sewer network and outfall pipe. This project is vital to address the discharging of untreated wastewater into the River Avoca. We have been engaging with the local community at every step of this project and will continue to keep them updated at each stage of the process”.

Uisce Éireann will continue to provide regular updates on the Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant project on the project webpage in addition to updates to local media. Uisce Éireann will continue to liaise and consult with all relevant project stakeholders. For more information on the project please visit the project page or email arklowtp@water.ie.