15 April 2025
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
The Village of Ballydesmond is set to finally get its Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrade as Uisce Eireann proceeds with planning permission to Cork County Council for the upgrade works. The news was confirmed this week by Uisce Eireann to Cork North West TD John Paul O’ Shea who has been fighting this case for many years for Ballydesmond.
The upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant will comprise of the construction of a new forward feed pumping station, new inlet works, construct new combined aeration and stormwater tanks with associated access stairs and platform, construct a new final settlement tank, construct a new ferric dosing system, construct new sodium hydroxide dosing system, construct new tertiary disc filters, construct a new polymer dosing system, construct a new supernatant pump station, construct a new potable water booster pump station, construct a new control kiosk and welfare unit, construct a new sludge holding tank, and all associated site development works including hard and soft landscaping, demolition of the existing wastewater treatment plant.
A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has also been prepared in respect of the proposed development.
Welcoming the planning permission application to Cork County Council, Deputy O’ Shea said “This is good news for the people of Ballydesmond. It will allow for the old treatment plant to be upgraded protecting the environment and waterways in the area while also allowing for some population growth in the village for the future. I want to thank all involved bringing this project to today and I look forward to seeing this project receiving full planning permission by Cork County Council and have Uisce Eireann proceed with the upgrade works as soon as is possible”.