Half a century wait for wastewater treatment plant upgrades

The fact that Mitchelstown has needed an upgrade to its wastewater treatment plant has been apparent to Cork County Council since at least 1967. In plans since then, the fact that the waste water treatment plant is not adequate is highlighted in every single one, with the 1996 plan stating, optimistically, that “this is likely to be rectified in the near future.”

The ‘ near future’ is still sometime away. However, this week Irish Water have confirmed that a report is due on a short-term solution for the plant in Mitchelstown at the end of this month, which represents some progress.

The services company has however declined to confirm if there is any progress on the long-term solution that would free up capacity on the plant that would cater for the projected 25 year growth of the town. The scope of the works is taking into account licensing and water quality monitoring, and is ‘technically complex’, according to the water utilities company.

It is interesting to note that in the development plan made for the town 35 years ago by Cork County Council, that “structural defects in the aged trunk sewers allow for a small spare capacity in these systems.”

SEEKING TO BUILD

People born in 1986, and even 1996, are now of the demographic seeking planning permission to build

in the town.

The report from Irish Water due in a matter of weeks, will detail two ‘interim’ solutions for the plant. The report on these options will be brought to Cork County Council where the feasibility of the plans will be investigated. The interim solution should allow some building to progress in the town, now waiting 55 years for the problems to be finally addressed

In 1979 the ‘old and badly deteriorated service connections’ were identified and ‘ no spare capacity’ confirmed in the wastewater system. The earliest available development plan from 1967 noted the necessity of upgrades. However, this reference specifically mentioned that the reason the plant was overloaded was because of industrial effluent from ‘the Creamery and Milk Powder factory’.

Today, Dairygold has its own on-site wastewater treatment facility. The treated effluent is combined with that from the public WWT plant, before being discharged to the River Funshion, downstream of its confluence with the River Gradoge.

NEW ROLE

It was announced last week that former managing director at Irish Water, Niall Gleeson, will be taking up the newly-created role of CEO. As managing director, his salary and benefits totalled €239,000 in 2021. He joined the company in 2019. Irish Water are in the process of separating from the parent group Ervia to become a standalone, publicly owned and regulated utility.