26 June 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Irish Water will submit a planning application in the coming weeks to Cork County Council to construct a new sewerage scheme in Inchigeelagh. The proposed project will bring benefits to Inchigeelagh village and surrounding areas in terms of health, protection of the environment and improved water quality for all.
Irish Water will deliver this project in partnership with Cork County Council and it will involve the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant and sewerage infrastructure in the village, which will eliminate the discharge of untreated wastewater into the River Lee.
The new wastewater treatment plant will bring big benefits to Inchigeelagh village, including an enhancement of its amenity value, as well as a platform for social and economic development. The new plant, sewer pipes and pumping stations will all be sized to accommodate future population growth.
Ensuring that all discharges meet the requirements set out in the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive will help protect the receiving waters of the River Lee. This, in turn, will enhance the tourism and amenity value of Inchigeelagh and surrounding areas in the Lee Valley, while also providing a platform for future growth in the area.
Discussing the project, Anthony Kavanagh, Irish Water’s Regional Lead, said: “Inchigeelagh is a gateway to West Cork and has great potential to develop more as a popular tourist destination in its own right. By ending the unacceptable practice of discharging untreated wastewater into the River Lee, this project will boost the area by enhancing the local environment, protecting health and supporting economic development.”
“With tourism and water-based activities becoming ever more popular, the importance of providing effective treatment of wastewater cannot be overstated, both for those who live and work in the area and for the many visitors to this beautiful part of County Cork.”
“Irish Water, together with our partners in Cork County Council, is confident that this scheme will bring significant benefits to Inchigeelagh and the Lee Valley for years to come.”
This project is being delivered as part of Irish Water’s investment plan. Irish Water’s investment plan prioritises key outcomes such as leakage, water supply zones removed from the EPA’s Remedial Action List, areas where there is raw sewage entering the rivers, lakes and the sea (untreated agglomerations), and areas identified by the European Court of Justice under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
In Co Cork, projects are also underway to end the discharge of untreated wastewater including the recently completed sewerage scheme in Courtmacsherry and Timoleague, Castletownbere, Castletownshend, all in West Cork, along with Cork Lower Harbour, Whitegate-Aghada, and Ballycotton in East Cork.
