A £9.4m NI Water scheme in Co Derry/Londonderry has delivered major capacity and environmental improvements at Kilrea WwTW.

NI Water has confirmed the completion of a £9.4 million modernisation of Kilrea Wastewater Treatment Works to enhance wastewater services, support future growth and provide greater protection for the River Bann. The project was delivered by Farrans Glanua JV.

Constructed in the 1970s, the plant required significant upgrades to keep pace with population growth in Kilrea and surrounding areas.

Works included the installation of a new, advanced treatment process, first-time stormwater storage tanks, two new final settlement tanks and a sludge tank. Elements of the original facility, including pumping stations, were repurposed within the new system, with the existing treatment process maintained throughout. The improvements will help manage future flows more efficiently and ensure continued compliance with stringent Northern Ireland Environment Agency standards.

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The scheme boosts the site’s treatment capacity by almost 50% to accommodate local development and meet current and future environmental requirements.

NI Water's Senior Project Manager Martin Armstrong said: "This major investment demonstrates NI Water’s commitment to future proofing the wastewater infrastructure throughout Northern Ireland, bringing environmental benefits while allowing local communities to thrive by supporting local development and improving the local river water quality. This investment will also improve operational efficiency at the plant and provides a more modern treatment process, which will help reduce energy consumption.

"We are proud of the social value impact of the project, with our framework contractor, Farrans Glanua JV engaging many local sub-contractors to supply key materials and services throughout construction, as well as engaging three students, graduates and higher-level apprentices, who gained valuable hands-on experience during the scheme, helping to inspire the engineers of the future!"

Technical support for the upgrade was provided by Belfast-based Tetra Tech.