A cross-border project aimed at improving water quality across various counties in the island of Ireland has received €32m of PEACEPLUS funding.

The Water Enhancements through Sustainable Treatment (WEST) project is a collaborative effort between NI Water and Uisce Éireann which will tackle water pollution in Fermanagh, Tyrone, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.

Areas of focus include Lough Erne, Lough Melvin and Donegal Bay – locations of the North-Western International River Basin District which face toxic pollution issues from agriculture, forestry, urban runoff and wastewater discharges.

Through WEST, NI Water and Uisce Éireann will work together to identify where investment should be made to address pollution, regardless of origin.

Outputs from the WEST project will include the development of two strategies and action plans using robust catchment modelling and sustainable treatment solutions, for acceptance by environmental regulators on both sides of the border.

Additionally, the project will implement four capital wastewater treatment upgrades within Northern Ireland (Belleek and Garrison) and Ireland (Ballybay and Blacklion), to provide improved treatment for at least 5,000 people, with treatment capacity for an additional 1,000.

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Beneficiaries of these efforts include environmental regulators, residents, tourists, the mariculture industry, anglers, surfers, councils and non-governmental organisations.

The project will be funded under the Water Quality Improvement Programme investment area of the PEACEPLUS programme.

This enables a collaborative cross-border approach to the management and improvement of water quality to address the requirements of the Water Framework Directive in selected water bodies.

The €32m funding announcement marks the commitment of almost 65% of the €1.14bn PEACEPLUS programme budget since its launch last year. 

The Special EU Programmes Body, which manages the PEACEPLUS programme, expects to allocate approximately 90% of the funding by late Spring 2025.

Minister for Infrastructure, John O'Dowd, said: "I welcome the confirmation of funding for this innovative project which builds on the excellent north-south collaborative working already in place. 

"The funding includes capital upgrades at both the Belleek and Garrison sites using new wastewater treatment processes which will benefit the border communities by improving water quality in Lough Erne, Lough Melvin and Donegal Bay.

"Protecting our water courses, investing, and developing robust catchment modelling and sustainable treatment solutions for our water and sewerage systems, will play an important part in enhancing our environment and ensuring it is equipped for the future.  

"As we tackle the ongoing climate emergency it is more important than ever that we embrace these innovative and sustainable ways of reducing our carbon footprint."

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD added: "Communities north and south will greatly benefit from the funding for this important and innovative investment in water quality and wastewater capacity.

"This joint submission for the PEACEPLUS project is a great example of strong collaborative work between Uisce Éireann and NI Water."