NI Water lays the foundation for long-term wastewater programme in Belfast

NI Water has announced a £10m programme of work has started at Belfast Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW).

The major investment will protect the environment, support development and aid economic growth in the city.

The extensive project will see the construction of two new treatment tanks at the Duncrue Road site to cope with current and short-term future wastewater requirements.

Welcoming the scheme, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said: “This £10m scheme is an essential and welcome investment for Belfast Wastewater Treatment Works which plays a crucial role in treating our wastewater safely and sustainably.

“This project will lay the foundation for future work on site, which will form part of the Living With Water Programme (LWWP) which I recently consulted on. LWWP presents how we can work together to deliver integrated sustainable solutions by managing and addressing future flood risk needs across Belfast so that our environment will be enhanced and our local economy can grow.

“Our water and wastewater infrastructure is essential to creating jobs, building homes and growing our economy. I will continue to do all I can to make the case for further investment to secure the future of our water and wastewater infrastructure.”

Kieran Grant, head of wastewater treatment capital delivery at NI Water said: “Due to constraints in investment over the past 20 years, many parts of the wastewater and drainage infrastructure serving greater Belfast are now having to operate at or over their original design capacity.

“The two new treatment tanks being constructed will provide much-needed additional secondary treatment capacity and augment the existing process to ensure that the discharge to Belfast Lough remains compliant with Northern Ireland Environment Agency standards.

“The new assets will also facilitate essential improvements within the associated sewerage networks and will enable maintenance works to be undertaken in the other treatment tanks at a future date.

“This significant investment by NI Water will ensure our key wastewater treatment works for Belfast remains compliant, in advance of the main ‘Living With Water Programme’ commencing.”

Contained within a site area of around 180,000 square metres (almost 2 million square feet), Belfast WwTW was designed to treat a domestic and trade population equivalent of 290,000. The current works was built in 1991 to replace the original Victorian works which dates back to the early 1900s.

This latest phase of work is being undertaken by Murphy Dawson-Wam JV, with McAdam Design providing project management support. When complete next year, the extended wastewater treatment works will accommodate a population equivalent of almost half a million people. Further investment at the site will be made through the strategic ‘Living With Water Programme’.