Uisce Éireann set to commence construction on Ballycotton Sewerage Scheme

Ballycotton, a small fishing village overlooking Ballycotton Bay, is famous for its picturesque sandy beaches and one of the original great lighthouses. Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Cork County Council, is set to start works, as part of a €16.3 million investment, to construct a new wastewater treatment plant and wastewater network in Ballycotton that will protect coastal waters and end untreated wastewater being discharged directly into Ballycotton Bay.

Uisce Éireann's Delivery Programme Manager, Anthony Kavanagh said: 

"Ballycotton is one of our beautiful coastal villages in County Cork and is hugely popular for tourists and natives alike for fishing, walking, and outdoor sports.

"Ending the daily discharge of 860 wheelie bins of raw sewage into Ballycotton Bay will provide cleaner water, enhance Ballycotton's value as an amenity and encourage social and economic development."

Uisce Éireann has been engaging with impacted stakeholders with a view to commencing works in April. The scheme will require traffic management and we will keep stakeholders informed as the project progresses. The project is due for completion in Summer 2024 with the majority of construction works completed by early 2024. Glan Agua will deliver the project on behalf of Uisce Éireann.

Speaking about Uisce Éireann's work to end the discharge of raw sewage across Co. Cork, Anthony said:

"The scale of investment in Co. Cork and delivery of another critical sewage scheme is hugely significant. Communities in Cork continue to benefit from Uisce Éireann's progress in improving wastewater treatment and enhancing water quality. 

"We have recently completed Inchigeelagh Sewerage Scheme and in 2022 we completed the Castletownbere Sewage Scheme - ending the equivalent of over 1,700 wheelie bins of raw sewage being discharged into Bantry Bay per day. We are also progressing with new wastewater projects in Whitegate-Aghada and Castletownshend. 

"Developing new infrastructure in well-established towns and villages is challenging and I want to thank the local communities in Cork, Glen Agua, and our colleagues in Cork County Council for working together on another vital project in Co. Cork."

The Ballycotton Sewage Scheme involves the construction of a new treatment plant that will serve a population equivalent of 1082. It will be located on a site currently used for agricultural purposes, to the South-West of Ballycotton Main Street. A new below-ground pumping station on Ballycotton Pier will transfer wastewater to a second pumping station on Cow Lane via a rising main and then a gravity sewer. The project also involves the construction of nearly 2km of pipeline. 

Any individual or business wishing to get a new connection to public wastewater collection infrastructure in Ballycotton must contact Uisce Éireann. You can make a pre-connection enquiry to establish whether a connection to the public network is feasible, where the connection can be made and any associated charges. For more information, please visit www.water.ie/connections.

Uisce Éireann is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.