Northern Ireland Water has unveiled an £8m programme of improvements planned for the Benone/Magilligan sewerage network.

NI Water's Head of Wastewater Capital Procurement, Dermott McCurdy revealed the 18-month scheme will commence at the end of March, involving the construction of an all new state-of-the-art treatment plant at the Magilligan Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW).

"This modern new facility will adopt a robust two-stage treatment process, additional filtration and UV disinfection to ensure that the treated effluent meets current and projected future EU directives thereby helping to protect the 'Blue Flag' status of Benone Strand." he said.

Explaining the new system and the positive impact to the local environment, Mr McCurdy continued: "All current wastewater treatment works at Aughil, Drumavalley and those privately owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and HM Prison Magilligan, will be converted to modern new pumping station.

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"This will mean that once the scheme is in full operation there will be no further continuous discharges of treated effluent to local watercourses or Lough Foyle."

Further highlighting the ecological advantages of the project, Mr McCurdy added: "An additional benefit of the scheme is the decommissioning and removal of the existing Benone WwTW and the irrigation field to which it discharges. The old MoD and HMP wastewater treatment facilities will also be demolished and removed…these sites will be carefully restored to their natural habitat to ensure the status of the area is protected."

With plans to utilise Northern Irish firms, Mr McCurdy stressed that Maghera-based BSG Civil Engineering would employ sensitive construction practices to minimise disruption to the community; with contractors looking to use local suppliers and labour where possible.

Speaking on the announcement, Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy has welcomed this excellent news not only for it’s support of a greener future but for breathing new life into the local construction industry: "The local watercourses, including Lough Foyle and the bathing waters at Benone Strand, will significantly benefit from this major investment. It brings welcome news for the construction industry in Northern Ireland."

(HMc/GK)