Mutton Island wastewater treatment plant recently hosted a tour of the upgraded facility for city councillors, to demonstrate the improvements and upgrades that have been made to the plant following a €5 million investment by the national utility.
City councillor Terry O’Flaherty, who was mayor of Galway city in 2004 when the plant was first opened, attended the briefing and welcomed the most recent upgrade.
Cllr O’Flaherty said: “I was certainly impressed with what I saw on our tour of the plant, which was described as being among the most modern in Europe when it first opened and was vital in improving the quality of water in Galway Bay and along our beaches.
“The recent important upgrade, which significantly increased its capacity, was carried out with a minimum of disruption despite the difficulty of the job.
“The project even won the award for Engineering Project of the Year 2017 at the Irish Building and Design awards ceremony back in April this year. It has resulted in lower running costs, a reduced environmental impact, and improved safety for those working there.”
The plant was originally opened in 2004 and provided for a capacity of 90,000 population equivalent until the €5 million upgrade took place during 2014 and 2015. The plant now boasts increased capacity which will provide ample growth room to cater for the future development plans of Galway city and its hinterland.
As part of the upgrade project works were carried out at the inlet works and process tanks. The project was carried out by Aecom and SIAC on behalf of Irish Water.
The visit to Mutton Island took place as part of a month long programme of events organised by Irish Water and the Galway City Council.
The events were scheduled to celebrate Galway city’s designation as the European Green Leaf City for 2017.
