WORK on a £3.5m upgrade of the sewage treatment plant at Newcastle harbour has been completed ahead of the start of the new bathing season.
The significant programme of work carried out by Murphy Dawson Wam JV involved the upgrade of the three-stage treatment process to ensure that the treatment plant continues to produce a high-quality effluent.
NI Water’s senior project manager, Sean Milligan, said the work within the existing facility at South Promenade included the installation of new filtration equipment as well as a modern UV system.
He said the important investment will ensure that the NI Water plant continues to meet bathing water quality standards, while helping to support future growth in the town.
“The sequence of work was carefully managed to ensure there was no deterioration in effluent quality during the construction period,” he said.
“I would like to thank the project team from Murphy Dawson Wam and McAdam as well as our operational colleagues for their meticulous coordination of deliveries and supply chain activities to allow this upgrade to be completed within programme and without any impact to normal operations at the treatment plant.”
Mr Milligan explained this type of collaboration between the organisation’s framework partners and wastewater treatment works operations team is integral to successfully delivering these vital capital delivery upgrade projects.
“NI Water is pleased to complete these improvements which will protect local bathing waters for many years to come,” he said.
News of the multi-million pound investment has been welcomed by local politicians and comes after swimmers were banned from the water twice in 2023 at the harbour following the discovery of the E.coli bug which poses a major risk to public health.
The poor water quality was detected during routine water sampling by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
The contaminated water was blamed on agricultural run off and not linked to the wastewater treatment plant.
The discovery of the bacteria — which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea and lead to stomach cramps — came 48 hours after torrential rain two.
DAERA is responsible for monitoring the quality of the designated bathing water sites including Newcastle.
The government department undertakes weekly water quality tests at the district’s designated bathing waters between the end of May and mid-September. DAERA also monitors the water quality at nearby Murlough, Kilclief and Ballyhornan.