South Longford sewerage upgrade to pave way for ‘500 plus houses’

That's according to Longford / Westmeath Fianna Fáil TD Joe Flaherty, who along with Ballymahon Municipal District councillors Mick Cahill and Pat O'Toole, met with representatives of Uisce Éireann management. 

Uisce Éireann intends to apply for planning permission for a long awaited upgrade to the Ballymahon waste treatment plant in early 2024 and a new plant will be in place for 2027.

The current Ballymahon plant is effectively maxed out and has inhibited further development in the town.

Welcoming the announcement by Uisce Éireann, Deputy Flaherty commended both councillors, who have doggedly pursued this issue.

He explained, “Uisce Éireann are currently working through the procurement phase and will lodge a planning application next year.

“The current plant has capacity for 2,900 and the planned increase will take it to 4,150 based on population projections and allow for a further 500 plus houses in the busy south Longford town.”

The announcement is very significant as Uisce Éireann will now work with developers seeking to build houses locally. 

Deputy Flaherty pointed out, “Pending the delivery of the new plant in 2027 the utility company will work with any developer who will provide an interim developer managed on site treatment system (DPI - Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure) in the interim. It would then be a condition of planning that this will be decommissioned and removed as soon as the expanded treatment plant is operational in four years.”

The meeting also heard that the utility company are still looking for a technology led solution for Edgeworthstown where their waste treatment plant is maxed out.

Deputy Flaherty commented, “The challenge for Edgeworthstown is that they don’t have a major watercourse nearby that can take the treated discharge from an expanded treatment plant and despite looking at a number of options, the utility company is now focused on advances in technology that would allow them to pump a greater discharge from an expanded plant.”

However, Deputy Flaherty added, “The news for Edgeworthstown though is very significant  and welcome in that Uisce Éireann have confirmed that they will work with developers who plan to build and will provide a developer managed temporary  treatment system (DPI).

"This will  be an interim measure and like Ballymahon will be decommissioned as soon as the expanded treatment plant comes on stream. The utility  company stressed that they would not make such a commitment if the plant was not included in its investment plan.”