Slow pace in upgrading sewerage schemes

Concern about the pace of upgrading work for water and sewerage schemes throughout Clare was expressed by county councillors at a recent budget estimates meeting.

Councillor Gabriel Keating told the meeting that people in Carrigaholt are waiting over 35 years for work to start on the long-awaited €1 million Carrigaholt Sewerage Scheme. Stating the delay has already been highlighted to Environment Minister Phil Hogan, Councillor Keating claimed it looks like construction will not start until 2013.
Councillor Oliver Garry expressed concern about an apparent change in the collection of water rates. He said he was led to believe the council would no longer be sending officials out on the road to collect water rates and would, in future, be collected from the office.
Councillor Gerry Flynn queried when work would begin on upgrading four major pumping stations in the Shannon Sewerage Scheme. Senior engineer Sean Ward confirmed the council intends to upgrade the four major pumping stations in Shannon, which it accepts are necessary.
Mr Ward explained the Department of the Environment wanted the council to upgrade the pumping stations as part of the overall €20m Shannon Sewerage Scheme.
He recalled the Carrigaholt Sewerage Scheme was included in the 2006 to 2009 Capital Improvement Programme and was at an advanced stage of planning but never started. When the scheme came to an end, he noted there was a review carried out recommending it to be included in the next programme, running from 2013 to 2015. However, he admitted he couldn’t see work starting on the Carrigaholt Sewerage Scheme in the near future unless money becomes available.
An Bord Pleanála recently granted Ennis Town Council planning permission for the €2.8m upgrade of the main wastewater treatment plant at Clonroadmore. The development will upgrade the existing wastewater treatment plant from a capacity of 17,000 population to a 30,150 population.
Councillor Tommy Brennan also raised the issue of the lack of progress in securing approval for the upgrading of the Clareabbey Sewerage Treatment Plant. Stating that Ennis has been waiting for approval for the Clareabbey plant upgrade since 1995, Councillor Brennan stressed it is vital to ensure balanced development on the north side of the town.
Mr Ward explained the council had secured an EPA licence for Clonroadmore and that none is in place for Clareabbey, which is why the former has to be upgraded first. Stating improvement of the Ennis wastewater network would have to be carried out on an incremental basis, Mr Ward outlined approval was also sought for Clonroadmore first because it is overloaded, while capacity at Clareabbey is on a knife-edge.
Commenting on a possible change in rate collection, county manager Tom Coughlan told councillors the authority is reviewing its current system as the door-to-door method has become too costly.