Water Services Investment Programme

Sligo County Council’s Water Services Project Office has responsibility for Project Management and Administration of all Water Services infrastructural development projects funded through the Capital Programme, Service Land Initiatives, the Rural Water Programme and also Development Levy Schemes (funded entirely by Sligo County Council).

Value for money

It is the policy of Sligo County Council to bundle suitable schemes in order to deliver best value for money based on the principle of economies of scale. The bundled Operation and Maintenance contract will deliver a value for money solution to ensure that all plants in the region are operated and maintained to the highest standards and that all final effluent discharges are in compliance with National and EU regulations.

Enhancing the Environment

The existing wastewater treatment works at Enniscrone has been upgraded to provide environmental enhancement to the receiving waters in Killala Bay and to promote sustainable development in Enniscrone by providing additional capacity to treat associated effluent loading. This modern facility will be a major benefit to Enniscrone and West Sligo as it facilitates tourism, housing, commercial and recreational developments as well as ensuring the protection of a quality marine environment in Killala Bay.

Enniscrone Scheme

In April 2007 a contract was awarded to EPS Pumping and Treatment Systems Ltd for the provision of Waste Water Treatment Plants for seven towns and villages under a Design/Build/Operate (DBO) scheme. Under the scheme new treatment plants were constructed at: Enniscrone, Easkey, Dromore West, Coolaney, Cloonacool, Aclare and Ballisodare.

The treatment plant at Enniscrone is the largest development delivered under this scheme. The existing treatment works have been upgraded with the provision of additional tankage, equipment, a sludge satellite station and two new pumping stations at Bellawaddy and Cliff Road.
The plant has now a much improved capacity, serving a population equivalent (pe) of 5,000.

 The Tendering Process was completed in late 2006. The contract for the Enniscrone Wastewater Treatment Plant Bundled Design, Build, Operate Scheme was awarded to Electrical and Pump Services Ltd on 23rd March 2007. 

The Design/Build works for Enniscrone Plant include the following facilities:

• Upgrade of existing wastewater Treatment Plant at Enniscrone
• Upgrade of forward feed pumping station at Bellawaddy to include a storm overflow facility
• Upgrade of forward feed pumping station at Cliff Road
• Installation of 500m³ storm attenuation tank at Cliff Road
   

As part of the Enniscrone contract, the existing wastewater treatment plant at Easkey has been upgraded with the provision of a new inlet works and plant controls. A new sludge dewatering facility was also provided at the Ballsadare plant as well as on site stand-by generators and remote monitoring at each of the plants included in the O&M Contract.

Bundled Operation and Maintenance Contract

The 20 year Operation and Maintenance contract for Enniscrone Waste Water Treatment Plant also includes six other wastewater treatment plants, five of which have been newly constructed by Sligo County Council over the period 2004 - 2006;

• Ballsadare
• Coolaney 
• Dromore West 
• Easkey  
• Aclare 
• Cloonacool  

All new schemes were constructed using the Design/Build form of contract. Funding for Ballysadare, Aclare and Cloonacool was secured under the Rural Water Small Schemes Programme and funding for Coolaney and Dromore West was provided entirely by Sligo County Council from Development Levies.

State of the Art Treatment plant opens in Enniscrone

Sligo County Council saw the further development of the county’s waste water treatment infrastructure with the official opening of a new state of the art treatment plant in Enniscrone recently. Local councillors and residents, Sligo County Council staff and local TDs joined Minister of State Michael Kitt TD to officially open the plant.

The new €5m plant demonstrates a commitment by Sligo County Council to the Enniscrone area which will facilitate sustainable development in the future. Director of Services Tom Kilfeather commended the project team, which consisted of water services staff of Sligo County Council, client’s representative, Nicholas O’Dwyer LTD. and the main contractors Electrical Pump Services LTD. They have worked not only on the Enniscrone plant but on six other schemes around the county – Ballisodare, Coolaney, Dromore West, Easkey, Aclare and Cloonacool, signifying a €12m investment by the council in waste water treatment and are being provided by means of Design/Build/Operate contracts.

Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Councillor Jude Devins stressed the importance of projects such as the Enniscrone plant as being integral to the development of infrastructure within the county. He sees this project as an example of the excellent work being carried out by the council working in cooperation with local communities. He also paid tribute to County Manager Hubert Kearns, Tom Kilfeather and water services staff for their professionalism and expertise in delivering this project.

Donal Harrison senior executive engineer with Sligo’s water services section gave a brief outline of the development of waste water infrastructure in County Sligo and Enniscrone. During the past 10 years the water services section has managed the construction of 25 new treatment plants and over 180km of new pipelines. This represents a total investment of €110m but the majority of this infrastructure is buried underground and is not readily apparent to the general public.

- Left to Right - Director of Services Tom Kilfeather, Councillor Mary Barrett, EPS (contractor) Director Tadgh Buckley, Councillor Paul Conmy, County manager Hubert Kearns, Cathaoirleach Councillor Jude Devins, Minister of State Michael Kitt, TD, Minister Jimmy Devins, TD, John Perry TD,  Councillor Joe Queenan, Eamon Scanlon TD

The new facility in Enniscrone incorporates primary and secondary treatment, stormwater attenuation, sludge dewatering and very importantly, remote monitoring which requires a dial out alarm system in the event of a malfunction. It has the capacity to treat a population equivalent of 5,000 and ensures that all treated effluent discharged into Killala Bay is in full compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive standards. This will support Enniscrone’s bid to reclaim their coveted Blue Flag status for its beaches.

Indeed, it is these beaches that Minister Michael Kitt mentions as one of the first things that springs to mind when Enniscrone comes up in conversation. He stressed the importance of the ‘high quality treatment for Enniscrone’s wastewater discharges’ as significant in preserving the Killala Bay/Moy Estuary Special Area of Conservation.

He outlines the governments’ commitment to new water and sewage schemes with a 19% increase in funding over the current year which will allow many towns and villages throughout Ireland to benefit from improved water services. He goes on to say that ‘against the present economic backdrop this is the clearest possible statement by the government of the priority we are giving to preserving and protecting our water resources and providing critical infrastructure..’ Minister Kitt concluded by commending the cooperation of the council staff, elected members, local residents and the contractors in delivering this project and declaring the Enniscrone plant officially open.

 
- Left to Right - Declan Cawley, Sligo Water Services, EPS Manager Iggy Haran, Kevin Larkin former Senior Engineer with Sligo Water Services, Sligo Water and Waste Water Capital Division Michael Conway and Senior Executive Engineer Donal Harrison, Director of Services Tom Kilfeather, EPS Director Tadgh Buckley