Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy officially opened a new state-of-the-art upgraded wastewater treatment works in Dundrum this month. The new Northern Ireland Water (NIW) facility, which is located in an environmentally sensitive area adjacent to Dundrum Bay, will serve a population of approximately 2,000. It has been designed to comply with stringent effluent discharge limits set by the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS).
Speaking at the opening, Mr Murphy said, "The new facility is just one example of the investment required to improve the water and sewerage infrastructure throughout Northern Ireland. By 2010, NIW will have invested £492 million in wastewater treatment and collection systems. This will help us meet European standards, respond to increasing demand and provide the region with a world class modern service."
Katharine Bryan, Chief Executive of NIW commented, "There is an urgent and well documented need to address the issues arising from a legacy of under-investment to enable us to match or exceed performance levels of similar UK water companies by 2015. For different reasons, money that should have been spent on water and sewerage down the years was not. NIW is now addressing this issue. This new facility is a wonderful example of NIW working at its best to provide a quality service for the people of Dundrum."
