Ireland

New Wastewater Pumping Station for Warrenpoint

Warren Point, South Down, Northern Ireland

A Drainage Area Study of Warrenpoint in the heart of South Down, Northern Ireland has found that the current sewerage system does not meet the needs of the town.

The study was carried out by Northern Ireland Water and a number of key projects were identified for improvement. One such project was the replacement of the existing Newry Road Wastewater Pumping Station.

This work is the first phase of the Warrenpoint Drainage Area Plan and is critical to the full Warrenpoint drainage catchment. The replacement of the existing wastewater pumping station will reduce the likelihood of out of sewer flooding at Meeting Street and Charlotte Street.

Due for completion in April 2014, the development is also set to improve the water quality in Carlingford Lough, which will help meet Northern Ireland Environment Agency standards.

The £3 million investment from NI Water will see the construction of a new pumping station and storage tank located within the existing Newry Street car park and installation of sewers on Newry Road, Meeting Street and Mound Road.

As of this month, two new 10.67 meter internal diameter shafts have been installed by NI Water’s Contractor, Dawson WAM, using precast concrete shaft segments.

One shaft, fitted with a dividing wall, is a foul and storm pumping station capable of pumping 250 litres per second via 1800 meters of 500mm diameter pumping main, constructed within the dual carriageway towards Warrenpoint Wastewater Treatment Works. The second shaft is a storage tank connected to the pumping station. The combined capacity of the two tanks is more than 800 cubic meters, reducing the chances of flooding throughout the town.

The works are obviously going to cause traffic disruption to the local community; however NI Water has liaised closely with DRD Roads Service Traffic Management Section to ensure minimum delays.
Warren Point, South Down, Northern Ireland

NI Water is a Government Owned Company set up in April 2007 to provide the water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland. That translates as 560million litres of clean water a day for almost 1.8 million people as well as treating 320 million litres of wastewater a day.

In order to deliver this service, NI Water requires a huge system of pipes, pumping stations, water and wastewater treatment works and reservoirs. There are 26,700 kilometers of watermains and 15,200 kilometers of sewers in Northern Ireland.

A spokesperson from NI Water said:

“We are planning a lot of investment over the next few years to ensure that we protect public health and the environment for generations to come. In fact, by 2020 we are planning to invest £3 billion that will reduce leakage levels, lower the threats of flooding and improve water and wastewater quality.

“We believe in the years to come we can deliver much more than just water and sewerage services. We own one of the most visited tourist sites in Northern Ireland, Silent Valley, situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty and with a fantastic new Visitor Centre. With an increase in visitor numbers, this has helped to boost the reputation of the area as a major attraction.”

About the author

Roma Publications