This article is from page 12 of the 2011-08-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
APPROVAL for a proposed upgrade to the Clonroadmore Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is “urgently” needed to cater for future commercial development in Ennis, a senior official with Clare County Council has said.
David Timlin, Director of Environment and Water Services, said last week that cer tain wastewater license conditions issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “cannot be met until the plant upgrade is completed”.
Mr Timlin was speaking in the West County Hotel at An Bord Pleanála’s oral hearing into the Council’s application to upgrade the Clonroadmore WWTP.
Addressing senior inspector Mary Kennelly and board representative David Kelly, Mr Timlin said, “The capacity of the main Clondroadmore Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) urgently needs to be upgraded to provide for the current and predicted growth in domestic population and in the commercial and industrial sectors. As a water services authority, Clare County Council is acutely conscious of the need to urgently address the present sewerage deficiencies in Ennis.”
He continued, “The existing plant at Clondroadmore is already considerably overloaded. This proposal for the upgrade of the Clondroadmore WWTP will provide for the treatment of the wastewater loading arising in its catchments for the short term to medium term, in a sustainable and economic manner.”
Mr Timlin explained that the proposal forms par t of a “coherent plan for the provision of upgraded facilities to treat all wastewater arising in the entire Ennis agglomeration”.
Mr Timlin said the overall plan is contained in the preliminary report addendum for the Ennis Clarecastle Main Drainage, which was submitted to the Depar tment of Environment, Heritage and Local Government on July 7 last.
He said that a previous 2002 study had recommended the provision of a completely new single treatment plant to serve Ennis and its environs on the site of the Clareabbey wastewater treatment works, to replace both existing WWTPs and main pumping stations. An Bord Pleanála granted planning in 2003 and there followed, Mr Tim- lin explained, a period of detailed planning “including cost benefit analysis, public private par tnership assessment and national development finance agency approvals”.
He added, “However by March 2009 the enti re approach to the scheme had to be reviewed. The high front loaded capital costs associated with a vi rtually entirely new system could not be justified as against maximising the inherent value of the existing infrastructure, mainly dating from the 1970s and 1980s.
Mr Timlin explained that the proposed upgrade would enable the Clonroadmore plant to cater for a population equivalent of 30,150.
He added, “There will only be a small increase to the existing footprint of the facility, without extend- ing the boundary of the facility.”
Mr Timlin also stated that the upgrade is requi red “immediately, due to overloading and non-compliance with the waste water treatment discharge authorisation license and the water framework di rective requi rements as set out in the Shannon River Basin Management Plan 2010.”
He continued, “In summar y, Clare County Council as water services authority is conscious of the duty to meet all legislative requirements … Compliance with this requirement urgently requi res the proposed improvement works at the treatment facility. Indeed certain licence conditions which required compliance by December 31 (2010) cannot be met until the plant upgrade is completed.”