Irish Water has been granted planning permission for essential upgrade works to the Gort Water Treatment Plant to ensure a consistently high water quality for local homes and businesses.
Tender documents are currently being prepared and are expected to be advertised before the summer, with a contractor due to be appointed and work to commence on site before the end of the year.
The existing Gort WTP produces up to 1.4MLD per day and the upgrade works are necessary to optimise and strengthen current plant operations to ensure a continuing supply of quality treated water to Gort town.
Explaining the benefits of the project, Laura Heneghan, capital programmes lead, said, “The project is needed to strengthen and reinforce existing processes at the plant to ensure consistency in the quality of water supplied to the town of Gort. This project is needed to ensure drinking water is provided in compliance with all of the regulations that ensure that consumers on the Gort water supply have a high-quality water supply.
“The improvements will ensure that the plant has the flexibility to treat variations in raw water quality, allowing for a more consistent treated water for local consumers.”
Ms Heneghan said this project forms part of Irish Water’s investment plan and works have been prioritised to address the most critical issues in line with commitments outlined in Irish Water’s recently published business plan.
Delivery of the business plan will involve a €5.5 billion investment in capital spending on drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and new infrastructure up to 2021.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.