£7 Million NI Water Investment in Flood Alleviation Project for Ravenhill Avenue area

11 August 2020 10:26

NI Water is pleased to announce a major programme of work to upgrade the sewerage infrastructure and substantially reduce the risk of flooding in the Ravenhill area of South Belfast.

This essential infrastructure project involves the upgrade of existing and installation of new sewers along a section of Ravenhill Avenue and surrounding streets. It is being undertaken to reduce the risk of internal and external ‘out of sewer’ flooding and when complete will increase the capacity of the sewerage system in this area of South Belfast.

The project will also provide First Time Storm Water Sewers for six recent residential developments in the area.

Work will commence in September, with initial work commencing on the Ravenhill Road to divert an existing watermain.

David McClean, NI Water Project Manager said: “This significant programme of work will commence in September and will take approximately 24 months to complete.

“The improvement work will bring real benefits to the local community by upgrading the sewerage infrastructure, some of which dates back to the early 1900’s, and reducing the risk of ‘out of sewer’ flooding. Work will be carried out on sections of the network around Ravenhill Avenue, Ravenhill Road, Sunwich Street, Federation Street and Millar Street.

“NI Water understands that major work of this nature can be disruptive to the local community, and would like to thank the public in advance for their patience and cooperation.  We will do everything possible to minimise disruption, including the use of underground trenchless construction methods where appropriate.

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon added: “I am delighted to see this major £7 million investment planned for Ravenhill, which will improve the lives of people living in the area, enhance the local environment and help reduce the risk of flooding to people’s homes.

 

“Continued investment in the water and wastewater services throughout Northern Ireland is essential to improving this critical infrastructure which has become even more vital recently in helping us to ensure the protection of public health. It is also important in supporting economic growth and meeting increasingly challenging European standards.”

 

As the work progresses, local residents and businesses will be kept up to date through letter drops and regular updates. The work will involve some lane restrictions and road closures.  Traffic management and signage will be in place in all areas, as necessary, to inform the wider public in advance of work starting.

Vehicular access will be maintained for residents/businesses as far as possible, and pedestrian access will be available at all times. As the work progresses, our contractor will liaise directly with any residents and businesses affected by traffic management restrictions.

NI Water and our contractor Geda Construction would like to thank the public in advance for their patience and cooperation while we complete this essential improvement work.

A few key points to remember:

• We are all practising social distancing – our priority is to keep customers and colleagues safe. So please keep your distance and our workers will carry on with their essential work for you.

• Remember wipes will clog the sewers and result in blockages and flooding – never flush a wipe. For further information log on to  www.niwater.com/bag-it-and-bin-it/

• Beware of Bogus Callers – if you are concerned about the identity of someone at your door, you can call the PSNI non-emergency number ‘101’ where you will have the option of a ‘Quickcheck’ to confirm the caller is from the utility they say they are.

• Do not let children go near work sites or equipment, this can be extremely dangerous.

For further advice log on to https://www.niwater.com/covid19/  

Information on water supply issues affecting your property are also available 24/7 simply by logging onto http://www.niwater.com/current-service-updates/

ENDS.

For further information, please contact NI Water’s Press Office on 02890 354710 or email press.office@niwater.com