Over €73 million is to be invested in Donegal's water infrastructure over the next 4 years, in a partnership between Irish Water and Donegal County Council.

The investment is expected to directly benefit 90,000 people across the country.

Irish Water, working with Donegal County Council has developed and prioritised a major programme of work which will address the serious deficiencies that exist across the water supply schemes. Projects will include:

€22m Letterkenny

Letterkenny Water Supply Scheme - €22 million investment in new and upgraded infrastructure, including a new Water Treatment Plant at Goldrum.

€11m Glenties

Gortahork-Falcarragh Water Supply Scheme – €2 million investment in a major upgrade of the Ardsbeg Water Treatment Plant.

Lettermacaward Regional Water Supply Scheme - €6 million to upgrade the existing Lettermacaward plant to double the volume of water that can be treated.

Cresslough Water Supply Scheme – €3 million in a new water treatment plant to replace the existing plant at Creeslough.

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The long term supply to the Glenties-Ardara Scheme is currently under consideration.

€29m Donegal

Killybegs Regional Water Supply Scheme – a €9 million investment to increase the water processing capacity of the existing Killybegs treatment plant.

Ballyshannon Regional Water Supply Scheme – a €15 million investment is required to build a new treatment plant at Knadar, Ballyshannon and extension of the network to facilitate connection of other supply schemes to the new plant.

Owenteskna Water Supply Scheme – €5 million to build a new water treatment plant.

€4.6m Inishowen

East Inishowen Regional Water Supply Scheme - €4.6 million to extend the water network infrastructure from Illies water treatment plant to Greencastle.

Separately, a county wide water rehabilitation project, involving an investment of €6.4 million in the replacement of approximately 45km of watermains, is also planned. This will involve the replacement of 15 priority sections of watermain spread over 7 water supply schemes. Improvements in water quality, security of supply and burst frequency will benefit over 30,000 customers on these supply schemes. Works are also planned to replace 12.3km of trunk/distribution watermains on the Letterkenny Water Supply Scheme. The replacement of a further 8.6km of problematic pipework on 4 schemes (Lough Mourne, Fanad, Glenties-Ardara and Carndonagh) is also planned in tandem with road re-surfacing works in order to minimise cost and disruptions to customers.

There are currently 10 water supply schemes in Donegal that are on the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) Remedial Action List (RAL), identified as needing urgent improvement. These schemes, though generally supplying safe water, are not equipped to manage all of the risk factors which can result in samples failing one or more of the standards in the Drinking Water Regulations. The schemes are; Cashilard; Cresslough; Fintown; Glenties-Ardara; Gortahork-Falcarragh; Greencastle; Owenteskna/Kilcar; Letterkenny; Portnoo-Narin and Rathmullen.

(CD/LM)