Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for affording me an opportunity to raise again the urgent need to improve the sewerage scheme at Kilmallock, County Limerick. For the past ten years, the town has been at the top of the list for the development of a sewerage scheme. The current sewerage system in Kilmallock is in urgent need of upgrading as both the plant and network are deficient.

The existing wastewater treatment plant in Kilmallock was built in the 1940s to cater for a population of only 1,500. It is heavily overloaded and effluent discharges are a significant source of pollution in the River Loobagh. The proposed new sewerage scheme consists of the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant and main lift pumping station at the north-west end of the town. It is proposed to replace or up-size the existing trunk sewer along the river bank, extend existing foul sewers and install a new 300 mm diameter storm sewer along the Kilfinnane Road.

One of the defects of the current scheme is that the storm sewer is part of the main sewer scheme and is being unnecessarily treated by the effluent plant. The proposed treatment plant site is situated north west of the town on the southern bank of the River Loobagh. The treatment works will be sized to cater for a design loading in phase 1, which runs until 2026, of 4,000 PE, with the plant designed to cater for an expansion to 8,000 PE in phase 2. Treated effluent will be discharged into the River Loobagh and effluent standards are based on the assimilative capacity of the river. Serious concerns arise regarding the pollution caused by the current discharges into the river. On 31 July 2003, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the then Deputy Cullen, promised by way of letter that the scheme would commence in 2004. When will it commence and what is the expected date of completion because sewerage schemes are being developed elsewhere? Infrastructural development has not been abandoned simply because of the recession although I appreciate the level of activity has been reduced.

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