Local people at heart of Athlone Main Drainage works

With a budget of €114 million, the Athlone Main Drainage Scheme is one of the most significant projects that Uisce Éireann has carried out to date. The mammoth investment involves the construction of new pumping stations at Golden Island and Coosan West, and almost three kilometres of new underground sewer pipes. When complete next year, it will transform Athlone by reducing the risk of sewer flooding in the town, addressing non-compliant sewer overflows into the River Shannon as well as increasing the capacity of the sewer network enabling future population growth.

Working on the project are three Westmeath locals; Project Resident Engineers Tom Curran and Michael Connolly and Communications Manager Gráinne Carey.

Four Roads native Michael Connolly has been living in Baylin, Athlone for 36 years with his wife Anne.

Working on a project that will have such a positive transformation for Westmeath is something that Michael is very proud of. “The end objective is to improve Athlone’s infrastructure; we recognise now that investment in water infrastructure is as important for sustainable growth and development as transport networks or energy or our urban centres. People will really see and feel the benefits. When we talk to people and explain what’s happening, they are appreciative of it and understand how it will benefit the town.”

Tom Curran was born and raised near Mullingar where he lives with his wife Gill and their two young children, Evan, and Ava.

“I lived in London for ten years where I worked as an engineer,” said Tom. “I worked on numerous large scale engineering projects over there so it’s good to be able to apply some of that experience to projects at home. The Athlone Main Drainage scheme is likely to be the closest project to home that I’ll ever get to play a role in. When you’re working in civil engineering you have to go where the work is, so it’s great to have the opportunity to apply my skills now in my own home county.”

Tom said the €114m investment in the midland’s town will also have a major positive impact on the community as well as paving a path for future population growth.

“The current network is already strained due to overcapacity, and it can’t accommodate additional growth. During winter months when the River Shannon rises, effluent backs up into residents’ homes through the pipes. These residents watch the river level every winter and, as it rises, they know there’s a problem on the way. What we’re delivering is putting a stop to that and improving the service to their houses as well to the whole community.”

Gráinne Carey, Uisce Éireann’s Communications Manager, has played an integral role in ensuring that the local community, businesses, elected representatives, media, and stakeholders are kept informed of the benefits and progress of the project. A native of Mullingar, Gráinne now lives with partner Paireac and sons Shane and Conor in Tyrrellspass. She has been involved in the Athlone Main Drainage project since its inception and initial communications with stakeholders back in 2016.

Gráinne is the only daughter of Eunan and Frances McCormack. Her father is well known across the county having served as a selector with the Westmeath GAA team for many years. Growing up in a family immersed in county football and hurling, Athlone holds a special place in Gráinne’s heart due to years spent in the town at sporting and social events growing up, and now as the mother of two sports mad sons.

“The critical part of what we do is to listen to the local community and hear what they have to say. We always learn from doing that engagement about the different pieces that impact communities. It gives us a steer on how we can alter either our communications or project delivery to support the community on the ground. It’s particularly important that the local community feel they can reach out to us,” she said.

“From an environmental perspective, I know that the people of Athlone are passionate about the River Shannon. It is a really important feature of the town and when this project is complete, we know it will greatly improve the water quality of the river. As a Westmeath woman, it is very satisfying knowing that we are so close to realising what has been in the planning for years.”

As well as improving the water quality in the River Shannon, Gráinne explains that increasing the capacity of the sewer network will allow for development and population growth in Athlone.

“As well as providing an appropriate sewer network for the existing community, there is a huge potential for growth associated with that. I think that’s something that every community wants. They want to be able to support growth and development and have their families move back to the town they grew up in and this project will support that aim significantly.”

Tom said that working hand in hand with the community in Athlone has been key to the project’s success, with several different local stakeholders being consulted in the process and considerations incorporated into the project’s design and planning in order to minimise disruption.

Despite the scheme leading to an increase in traffic around the town, Michael says that locals have been very understanding as most people acknowledge that the positives of the scheme vastly outweigh the negatives. “There is disruption as a result of our works and also from other significant projects which are ongoing in the town. We have 40 different traffic phases on this project alone and that is a big inconvenience to the people. We try to let people know in advance and explain as much as possible what we’re doing and why we’re disrupting them. But most people have been very patient, and I think people around Athlone are looking forward to the works being complete so that the town can enjoy the benefits from it into the future.”

Despite the scale of the works involved, a lot is happening away from the public view, with the end results practically invisible to the naked eye.

Tom said: “A lot of the work is ongoing below ground and behind hoarding without the public seeing the results initially. They see what’s happening at the start and at the end of our pipe runs but the rest is up to 18m underground and when we’re finished 95% of the public will never see what has been done. It’s almost like a case of out of sight out of mind, if it was a big bridge that people can see it is easy to demonstrate its value but with this it’s that bit harder to see and understand the positive impact it will bring.

The scheme is also proving to be a significant boost to the local economy with almost as many jobs being created off the site as there are on it.

“There are about 75 people employed onsite at peak, but you could almost double that figure when you consider the indirect employment that this project has created," Tom said. "We use a lot of local providers, such as concrete and aggregates, plant and machinery, and other services. We also make a concerted effort to support local shops and restaurants, and to support and engage the community, including working with Tidy Towns, TUS Athlone, and local schools.