Irish Water has announced details of a €2.9 million investment plan to upgrade the sewer network in Roscommon Town.
The contract has been awarded to Underground System and Sewer Repair Limited who will carry out the works on behalf of Irish Water. Works will commence shortly and will last for one year.
The benefits of these works for Roscommon Town include the reduction in the risk of sewers flooding, an improvement in sewer capacity, enhanced treatment of wastewater, and enhanced capacity of the system to deal with future population growth and economic development.
The sewerage network in Roscommon Town has experienced increased storm water overflows and pollution events. The existing sewer system collects and combines surface water and wastewater. This results in high volumes of both surface water and wastewater entering the system and being treated. The contractor, on behalf of Irish Water, will survey, identify and rehabilitate the existing sewerage network in order to reduce the volume of ground water infiltration into the collection system.
A follow up contract will commence in 2017 to further upgrade the drainage system. This will include the construction of new, higher capacity sewers, new pumping stations and process modifications at the wastewater treatment works site.
Colm Claffey, Wastewater Networks Programme Regional Lead from Irish Water commented: “The awarding of this contract represents a further step in the continued delivery of improvements to the wastewater network in Roscommon Town. Residents and businesses in the affected areas will be notified ahead of the works commencing and provided with contact details should they have any questions.”
This project forms part of Irish Water’s investment plan where over €530 million will be invested in upgrading water services in 2016 to improve the country’s water and wastewater infrastructure. In the Irish Water Business Plan, the utility has earmarked almost €2 billion in improving wastewater quality and capacity up to 2021.
The news has been welcomed by local TD Michael Fitzmaurice, who said that he had been following up the matter for a number of months.