Construction work has been completed on two water treatment plants in Galway.

Irish Water invested €5.6 million in the new plants at Milltown and Claregalway, which have been officially opened.

Prior to the construction of the plants, neither Claregalway nor Milltown had municipal wastewater treatment facilities and relied on individual treatment systems within housing developments and septic tanks to provide this service.

The project will improve the water quality of the River Clare and protect the conservation objectives of the River Corrib Special Area of Conservation. The treatment plants will have the capacity to meet the current and future residential and industrial development needs. Claregalway is identified in the Galway County Development Plan in the top tier of planned future residential development centres in the county.

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Colm Claffey, Irish Water's Wastewater Programme Regional Lead, said: "For too long there has been serious underinvestment in wastewater services in Ireland as was recently highlighted. We have inadequate treatment processes and in too many cases untreated wastewater being discharged directly into our rivers and seas. Irish Water is delighted to be officially opening these two wastewater treatment plants for the communities of Milltown and Claregalway. Both plants will deliver key environmental benefits, will provide for the protection of the River Clare while also facilitating the future economic development of both towns."

(CD/LM)