EU-funded SWELL project marks halfway stage with completion of NI sites
19 April 2021 9:50
A major cross-border project, aimed at improving water quality in Carlingford Lough and Lough Foyle through enhanced wastewater treatment, has seen the completion of four of its eight wastewater upgrades as the project reaches the halfway stage.
The Shared Waters Enhancement & Loughs Legacy (SWELL) project - which is being led by NI Water working in partnership with Irish Water, the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Loughs Agency and East Border Region - was awarded €35m in February 2019, as part of the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
The four-year project involves the construction of new wastewater treatment works as well as upgrades to sewerage networks at strategic locations on both sides of the border to address wastewater pollution in Carlingford Lough and Lough Foyle.
Reaching the halfway stage of the project, Martin Gillen, NI Water Programme Lead for SWELL commented: “We are delighted to successfully commission new wastewater infrastructure at Warrenpoint Wastewater Treatment Works and Newpoint Wastewater Pumping Station (Newry) located in the Carlingford Lough drainage basin and at Strabane Wastewater Treatment Works and Donemana Wastewater Treatment Works located in the Lough Foyle drainage basin.
“The work carried out at these key NI Water sites involved extensive upgrades of the existing wastewater assets to improve the quality of discharge to the respective waterways which impact on the shared waters of Carlingford Lough and Lough Foyle.
“The completion of these four sites marks a major milestone in the overall SWELL project and I would like to thank NI Water’s project management support team from McAdam Design and all our local contractors - GEDA, Water Solutions Ireland, GRAHAM, BSG Civil Engineering and Deane Public Works - who have worked tirelessly through very challenging times to successfully deliver this new infrastructure.”
SWELL partners, Irish Water will deliver a further four projects at Lifford, Killea and Carrigans in County Donegal and in Omeath, County Louth. Due to get underway in spring 2021, the Irish Water works, together with the NI Water upgrades, will deliver cross-border water quality enhancements which will help contribute towards improving water quality in Carlingford Lough and Lough Foyle.
With match-funding for the SWELL project provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, the SWELL project will culminate in the development of an innovative ecosystem legacy model.
Adele Boyd, Senior Scientific Officer with AFBI, explains how this unique model is being developed: “The SWELL ecosystem model will link various aspects of environmental modelling such as urban drainage models, catchment models, coastal models and ecological models, undertaken within the catchments and the respective loughs over the lifecycle of the project.
“When fully developed, the SWELL ecosystem model will be able to track the pathways of nutrients and contaminants of wastewater, industrial or agricultural sources to determine their impact on the receiving waters. Importantly, this legacy model will assist the water utilities and regulatory bodies on both sides of the border by identifying best approaches to achieving further improvement of overall water quality in the future.”
Underlining the importance of the project Gina McIntyre, Chief Executive of the SEUPB said: “Greater levels of cross border collaboration are essential so that we can improve the water quality of our shared waters and meet the relevant standards under the Water Framework Directive.
“SWELL is one the highest value projects to be funded under the EU INTERREG VA Programme and as such represents a significant long-term investment in our natural water resources. Key infrastructure is now in place, and despite current restrictions, the project is delivering upon its objectives. I would also like to commend the SWELL partners, on both sides of the border, for the innovative solutions that they are making, to ensure that this project will be delivered on time,” she continued.
Ends
Notes to Editor:
The four NI Water projects were carried out by the following contract teams:
Warrenpoint WwTW
GEDA Construction (Coalisland)
Water Solutions Ireland (Newry)
Atkins (Belfast)
Newpoint WwPS (Newry)
GRAHAM (Dromore, Co Down)
AECOM (Belfast)
Donemana WwTW
Deane Public Works (Irvinestown)
Water Solutions Ireland (Newry)
AECOM (Belfast)
Strabane WwTW
BSG Civil Engineering (Maghera, Co. L’derry)
Doran Consulting (Belfast)
For further information please contact NI Water press office at press.office@niwater.com