NI Water's treatment works project by the Farrans–Glanua JV has been shortlisted for Infrastructure of the Year – Utilities at the newly rebranded NI Construction Awards in Belfast.

The Kilrea Waste Water Treatment Works Upgrade for NI Water has been named on the shortlist for the Infrastructure of the Year – Utilities award at the NI Construction Awards.

Marking its 27th year, the long-running CEF Excellence Awards return on Thursday 1st October 2026 under a new title — the NI Construction Awards — and at a larger venue, ICC Belfast. The ceremony will be hosted by architect and television presenter George Clarke alongside presenter Claire McCollum.

In a first for Northern Ireland, CEF is partnering with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the Mineral Products Association (MPA) to create a unified, cross-sector celebration of the built environment, bringing together contractors, engineers and materials producers.

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Built in the 1970s to serve a population of around 3,000, Kilrea Wastewater Treatment Works was earmarked for PC21 reinvestment due to capacity pressures. The upgrade is designed to enhance compliance with NIEA standards and futureproof the site for stricter environmental consents, while improving operational efficiency, reducing energy consumption and addressing health and safety risks linked to ageing infrastructure.

The Farrans Glanua JV solution involved the construction of an activated sludge process (ASP) treatment works with a design population equivalent of 4,400, meeting NIEA discharge standards of 30:50 (BOD:SS). The upgraded facility delivers 363m3 of storm capacity across CSO, Blind and Online Storm Tanks — flows that previously would have gone straight to the River Bann without attenuation. Built alongside the existing operational works, the project maintained continuous treatment throughout delivery to minimise service disruption.

Key elements include a Formula A flume and package inlet works, two aeration lanes, dry-installed RAS and SAS pumping stations, Delta Hybrid High Efficiency Air Blowers, storm storage tanks, two final settlement tanks, a sludge consolidation tank and the repurposing of existing final effluent tanks. A new Motor Control Centre (MCC) kiosk now operates the site. Through collaborative delivery and innovative problem-solving, the team overcame significant technical and operational challenges while keeping quality, safety and long-term resilience at the forefront.