Works start on Ballycommon treatment plant
The total cost over eight months of taking lorry loads of raw sewage from the malfunctioning waste water treatment plant in Ballycommon was around €46,000, Uisce Éireann has informed local Independent councillor Seamus Morris.
In correspondence sent to the Nenagh councillor last week, the company said that sewage was being taken from the site on a daily basis for treatment at wastewater facilites in Nenagh, Borrisokane and Derryville, near Moyne, to be treated to correct standards.
The €46,000 cost involved related to the transport services for the first eight months up to August of this year. The total amount of sewage taken from Ballycommon in the same period amounted to approximately 4000 (m3).
“The Ballycommon Waste Water Treatment Plant is not currently operational,” Uisce Éireann informed Cllr Morris.
REVELATION
The revelation comes as the company announced this week that it has commenced some works at the site, including the cleaning out of treatment chambers. It said some of the works planned will require the skills of a specialist contractor. The planned works are expected to be completed by December.
The company said it is committed to continuously maintaining, upgrading and developing critical water and wastewater infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across the economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.
“The Ballycommon Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was a privately developed plant constructed in 2008 which was acquired by Tipperary County Council in 2016. The ownership of the Ballycommon wastewater works was subsequently vested to Irish Water/Uisce Éireann in 2021.”
The company went on to say that since then, it has carried out regular maintenance works at the plant to seek to improve its performance. “This has included capital maintenance with a commitment for additional expenditure to attempt to bring this plant up to the required standard.”
FURTHER UPGRADES
Uisce Éireann said it was committed to carry out further upgrades at the plant. Detailed inspections of the condition of the facility and pipework have been undertaken to identify the required works to improve its performance.
“Capital maintenance works are planned to get underway in October,” the company said.
The company said it was responsible for the operation of over 1,000 wastewater treatment plants and its priority at all times was the provision of effective wastewater services throughout Ireland.
“We have made big strides in improving urban wastewater treatment, including upgrading existing treatment plants and wastewater networks, and building infrastructure where none existed previously.
Overall, the standard of wastewater treatment in Ireland continues to improve as a result of Uisce Éireann’s investment.”
The plant in Ballycommon was shut down on the orders of the Environment Protection Agency during the summer after inspectors, reacting to complaints by Nenagh Ormond Anglers, discovered raw sewage from the plant was entering the Nenagh River.