Water Service to invest £29m in Strabane

DRD Water Service’s £850,000 extension to Castletown Service Reservoir in Strabane, due to start next year, will form part of a £29 million capital works programme for the next five years.

The programme, which was presented to Strabane District Council by DRD Water Service, Western Division’s, Jack McFarland, aims to significantly improve the available water supply storage and meet future housing demands in the Strabane area.

Mr McFarland said: "Water Service is embarking on a major £450 million programme of water and sewerage infrastructure projects over the next three years throughout Northern Ireland. However sustained investment of £3 billion over the next 20 years is required to protect public health, meet European standards on water quality, respond to increasing demand and upgrade infrastructure.

"The largest project in the Council area is the major upgrade to the Strabane wastewater treatment works, at a cost of £7 million. The scheme is virtually complete and the new plant will have the capacity to deal with wastewater from residential, commercial and industrial consumers in Strabane town for at least the next 25 years."

Other projects underway include the construction of a new wastewater treatment works at Bready, valued at £600,000 and also at Drumlegagh, valued at £250,000. It is hoped that both works will be fully operational early in the New Year.

Also ongoing is an overall assessment of the complete water distribution network to bring forward a prioritised programme of further watermain upgrading schemes over the next few years.

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