New sewage scheme may not answer needs of Lecale area

New sewage scheme may not answer needs of Lecale area

17 April 2013

NORTHERN Ireland Water has been accused of “missing a trick” by not connecting neighbouring villages and hamlets to the new £2.5m treatment plant in Ardglass.

The claim was made during a special briefing in the village last week about plans for the new multi-million pound facility in Ardglass which won’t treat sewage generated in the Ballyhornan, Coney Island, Bishopscourt, Killough and Chapeltown

NI Water has acknowledged that there have been some historic issues with the provision of sewerage facilities in these areas and will move to address these when funding becomes available.

The organisation says it has made provision at the new Ardglass plant to allow these areas to be connected in the future.

In response to a question from Councillor Cadogan Enright, NI Water officials say the Environment Agency has not flagged up requirements to upgrade any existing sewage works at these particular locations at the moment. But they conceded the Agency “may be likely to in the future.”

Councillor Enright said while a screening facility is proposed for the Killard Road area in Bishopscourt, effluent will still be discharged into the Irish Sea.

He said it would make sense to connect neighbouring villages and hamlets to the new treatment plant in Ardglass now, arguing such a move would in fact save money in the long run.

“It is really fantastic to see this new plant proposed for Ardglass but are we not missing a trick here by not connecting these surrounding areas now?

“We have a preliminary treatment scheme in Ballyhornan while in Coney Island the existing sewage system is clearly not appropriate as sewage is discharged into the sea when it rains.” he declared.

Councillor Enright said local people want the Lecale coastline treated in the same way as communities on the North Down coast which have all been connected into sewerage systems after years of problems.

“It is clear our area is more dependent on tourism than the so-called North Down gold coast, but our sewage treatment is shocking by comparison. The disparity of treatment between the two areas is pretty stark,” he declared.

“It is fair to say that most people from Killough to Ballyhornan and beyond had expected the new Ardglass system based in the sewage station at Ardtole to have the capacity to handle the whole Lecale coast and have the waste pumped up to Ardtole.

“The fact that capacity is only going to be 7,000 and that the other towns will only follow after more years of reviews and investigations is disappointing,” he added.

Mr. Dermott McCurdy, NI Water’s head of wastewater capital procurement, said the organisation has been asked to provide the screening facility at Ballyhornan “which will improve discharge standards.”

He continued: “We have not been asked to provide more than that but when the new Ardglass plant comes on line that may be revisited. It’s the Environment Agency which determines the standard of effluent which is discharged.”

NI Water officials explained at last Friday’s briefing that funding for capital investment is limited and must be invested on a competing priority basis as determined by both NI Water Environmental and Economic Regulators. The officials said transferring effluent from outlying areas requires investment in pumping stations and that the new Ardglass plant does allow for future expansion, if funding is made available.