First phase of multi-million euro Athlone water plant upgrade completed
The first phase of a multi-million euro upgrade of Athlone's water treatment plant has now been completed.
In a statement today (Tuesday), Irish Water described the conclusion of the first phase of work at the Marine View facility as a "critical milestone" towards the delivery of "a safe, secure and sustainable water supply" for the town.
The first phase of the plant upgrade, which cost over €4 million, began early in 2021.
Organised by Irish Water in partnership with Westmeath County Council, the project aimed to increase capacity at the plant in order to meet the long-term demands of residents and businesses in Athlone.
The first phase "included the installation of a supplementary treatment stream together with new clarification, filtration and disinfection facilities," Irish Water said.
The national utility acknowledged that the treatment plant "previously could not meet peak demand for water in Athlone and surrounding areas."
It said the first phase of the upgrade, along with a campaign to reduce leaks across the town, had "enabled the treatment plant to provide a more secure drinking water supply while crucially providing the headroom required to allow the commencement of Phase 2."
Martin Temple, Asset Delivery Lead for Irish Water, commented: "Providing a safe and secure water supply for our customers in Athlone is a top priority for Irish Water.
"We are pleased to have completed the first phase of this major project on schedule and within budget, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and, most importantly, we have already delivered what is a critical improvement to the quality, resilience and robustness of the water supply for Athlone in the short term.
"When completed, the project will increase capacity of the treatment plant, enabling economic and social development across the town while ensuring compliance with current drinking water quality regulations.
"While Irish Water was progressing with the upgrade, we also accelerated our Leakage Reduction Programme to improve and secure the water supply and reduce the need for water restrictions.
"This work and the hard work and dedication of Westmeath County Council has saved over 5 million litres of water per day, significantly reducing the number of bursts and water outages impacting customers."
Mr Temple said the second phase of the treatment plant upgrade was already underway.
"Upon completion of Phase 1, it was possible to immediately progress with an advanced Phase 2 programme of works to upgrade the existing sedimentation tanks which is already 50% completed," he said.
"The next phase also involves upgrading and increasing the capacity of the existing treatment processes and includes the expansion of the existing inlet and intake pumping station, as well as upgrades to the filtration and disinfection processes."
The treatment plant works are being carried out by Veolia Water Ireland on behalf of Irish Water.
Last month, residents supplied by the Athlone treatment plant were subject to a boil water notice for a short period due to an issue with the disinfection process at the facility.