Aghanloo, near Limavady, has received a £4 million upgrade to its wastewater treatment works, with NI Water completing a sustainable overhaul that harnesses nature to treat effluent.

At the heart of the project is an innovative process known as Phragmafiltre®, which uses a sequence of reed beds to purify water with very low energy input.

Michael Donnelly, NI Water Senior Project Manager, said: "NI Water is committed to adopting sustainable approaches to wastewater treatment where possible. The new eco-friendly system installed at Aghanloo has been tried and tested throughout Europe and is widely used in rural areas where sufficient land exists to construct a series of reed beds.

"By letting nature take its course, the new treatment works will treat the wastewater to the required environmental standard in a much more efficient way. By incorporating fewer mechanical components into the treatment works, maintenance requirements will be reduced, resulting in operational cost savings for NI Water."

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Commenting on the broader environmental and community advantages, Michael Donnelly continued: "The new nature-based Aghanloo Wastewater Treatment Works is a low carbon, low energy facility that integrates seamlessly into the landscape and will serve the area sustainably for the next 20 years. The series of reed beds offers a thriving environment for birds, insects and other wildlife and provides a natural stormwater defence that will protect and enhance local waterways."

The facility features more than 10,000 reeds across around 3,000 square metres, creating a fully natural setting. Six reed beds, together roughly the size of 16 tennis courts, deliver the treatment performance.

Construction was carried out by Lowry Building & Civil Engineering (Castlederg) and Avove Ireland (Newry) as part of the DLJ Water joint venture, with project management and technical support from Belfast-based TetraTech.

NI Water said the investment underscores its drive to modernise wastewater infrastructure sustainably to support growth while safeguarding the natural environment. A comparable nature-based system was delivered at Ballykelly in 2022.

Other locations where NI Water has implemented nature-based wastewater solutions include Loughries (Co. Down), Stoneyford (Co. Antrim), Clabby and Castle Archdale (both Co. Fermanagh), and Ballykelly (Co. Derry/Londonderry). Similar systems are under construction at Robinsonstown, outside Portadown (Co. Armagh), and at Garrison in Co. Fermanagh. DLJ Water is a long-term collaboration between Deane Public Works, Lowry Building & Civil Engineering and Avove Ireland to deliver sustainable water and wastewater infrastructure across Ireland.