Essential housing and industrial development across County Galway is being delayed by a severe lack of waste water treatment facilities, according to a local TD.
Galway East TD Sean Canney has called on the people of Galway to make submissions to Uisce Éireann’s 2050 Water Services Strategic Services Plan. The giant utility is allowing the public to make submissions from now until July 16.
Canney says planning officials and the courts are increasingly blocking housing developments because of a lack of waste water infrastructure, and that Irish Water and local authorities are slow to take private schemes in charge.
“Galway County Council has identified 30 locations where proposed housing developments are ‘frozen’ because of a lack of municipal waste water treatment. Managers of multinationals here are telling me that their bosses will invest in other global locations because they know this lack of infrastructure means not enough homes will be built for potential employees.”
Canney is particularly concerned about waste water issues in areas across Connemara, but also Abbeyknockmoy, Corofin, Craughwell, and Ardrahan.
“The price of land in these places is lower than in Galway city so it makes sense to build houses here, and also contribute to rural Ireland. People and politicians need to make submissions to Irish Water so our towns and villages can develop.”
“The Water Services Strategic Plan is an important document that will set out how we will manage Ireland’s water and wastewater services for the next quarter century,” says Sean Laffey, Head of Asset Management with Uisce Éireann. “ This critical infrastructure will underpin economic development and housing delivery, while safeguarding public health and enhancing the environment, enabling communities to thrive.”
“We are inviting all our stakeholders and members of the public to have their say in relation to how these essential services are managed and delivered, for the benefit of customers and communities throughout Ireland.”
Meanwhile, Irish Water has announced it is nearing completion of its €13m Athenry Sewerage Scheme Network Upgrade. Road surfacing will be completed over the summer months for the project which will address non-compliant overflows into the River Clarin and sewer flooding in the town.
The upgrade spans four kilometres of pipeline across Athenry, including the Raheen Woods Road, Gort Mhaoillir, Court Lane, Caheroyne Road and Bridge Street.
Submissions can be made at www.water.ie/wssp
