Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley yesterday announced a €16.5m parcel of water service scheme approvals for Galway City and County.

He is giving Galway City Council approval to proceed with planning, including preparation of Contract Documents, for substantial upgrading works, costing over €3.6m, at the New Terryland Water Treatment Plant.

Speaking during to his visit to the Terryland Plant in Galway the Minister said: "The works I am now approving will allow an extra 20,000m3 of water a day to be treated at the New Terryland Plant, which will reduce the City’s dependency on the supply from Luimnagh and help cater for the City's medium term needs."

He stressed that the City's long term water needs will be catered for by the Galway City Water Supply Scheme which is included, at an estimated cost of €22.1m, in his Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007 2009 and of which, he explained, "the currently approved upgrading works are an advance section".

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Minister Gormley said that new measures were also being put in place nationwide to protect people from contaminated drinking water.

He said that his Department is examining the City Council's latest proposals for water conservation in the City for which an allocation of €12m is included in his Department's Water Services Investment Programme.

"The conservation of water is becoming increasingly important and it will play a major role in the provision of an adequate supply to cater for the City’s future needs," he said.

The Minister also announced that he has given approval to Galway County Council to prepare Contract Documents for the Mountbellew Sewerage Scheme and to place the contract for the construction of the Barna Sewerage Scheme with Roadbridge Ltd.

He said: "These two schemes, which have a combined value of €13m, are very important for the sustainable development of both these areas and for preventing pollution of local water sources."

The Minister added that the approval of these schemes reflects the commitment in the Programme for Government "for continuing investment in our wastewater schemes to ensure that discharges into our rivers, lakes and coastal water meet the highest international standards and that our public drinking water supplies will deliver a reliable service that is 100% compliant with drinking water standards".

(VB/JM)