£2 Million Investment in Flood Alleviation Scheme for Toome Road, Ballymena Complete
29 October 2020 11:55
NI Water is pleased to announce that a £2 million Flood Alleviation Scheme for the Toome Road/Wakehurst Road area of Ballymena is now complete.
The completion of this project is good news for the local area and will help resolve historical internal and external ‘out of sewer’ flooding issues, as well as increasing the capacity of the existing sewerage system.
Richard Nevin, NI Water Project Manager, said:
“NI Water is delighted to announce the completion of this major investment which will bring many improvements to our customers, including improving the local sewerage infrastructure and providing additional storage during periods of heavy rain, which will substantially reduce the risk of future flooding in the area.
“The project involved the construction of a large storage tank on land adjacent to the council playing fields on the Wakehurst Road along with the upgrade of existing sewers and installation of new sewers on Wakehurst Road and Wakehurst Park.
“NI Water appreciates this work has been disruptive and would like to thank local residents and their representatives and all stakeholders affected by this scheme for their patience and cooperation.”
Welcoming the project’s completion, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon said:
“This is hugely beneficial for the people in the Toome Road/Wakehurst Road area of Ballymena, who will benefit from a flood alleviation scheme, that meets the needs of the local population. This investment in much needed sewerage infrastructure will reduce the risk of flooding, which will benefit the local community for many years to come.”
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Council, Councillor Peter Johnston added:
“The council welcomes the completion of this major investment for Ballymena, which will greatly improve services for customers in the local area and reduce the risk of future flooding.
“This scheme will also protect and enhance the local sewerage infrastructure, bringing great benefits to the local environment.”
BSG was the main contractor for this major programme of work with McAdam Design providing Project Management and technical support.
The investment at Toome Road is a great example of what can be done when there is sufficient investment in our water and wastewater infrastructure. In the PC15 business plan period (2015 to 2021) the total investment in Mid and East Antrim Council will be around £63m.
This money is needed for two things; firstly to maintain and keep the existing water and wastewater assets in the Council area running and secondly to address identified capacity and potential environmental issues.
The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted how vital clean water and sanitation are to society. We cannot maintain a modern day economy and a healthy and thriving population without a properly funded water and wastewater service. We need the drains and the cranes for economic recovery and a flourishing natural environment.
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For further information and media enquiries please contact press.office@niwater.com