Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 506: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the seven towns and villages sewerage scheme in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29748/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Waterford Grouped Towns and Villages Sewerage Scheme is approved for funding under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2012 at an estimated cost of over €50m. The scheme provides for the construction of new or upgraded wastewater treatment and collection systems in Ardmore, Ballyduff/Kilmeaden, Cappoquin, Dunmore East, Kilmacthomas, Stradbally and Tallow. Waterford County Council is advancing the scheme on the basis of separate contracts for the collection systems and a single Design Build and Operate (DBO) contract for the wastewater treatment plants.

The sewerage collection systems for the towns of Tallow and Kilmacthomas are completed. Construction work has started on the Cappoquin collection system and on the interim sewerage treatment facilities at Ardmore pending the construction of the treatment plant there. I recently approved funding to allow Stradbally collection system to go to construction. The Council also expects to go to tender for the Ballyduff/Kilmeaden and the Ardmore sewerage collection systems shortly. Waterford County Council has submitted contract documents to my Department for the Dunmore East sewerage scheme. Following the technical examination of these documents, my Department has written to the Council outlining a number of issues that the Council will need to address before approval can be given. The contract documents in respect of the waste water treatment plants have also been submitted to my Department for examination. Additional information has been requested from the Council to enable my Department to undertake a full assessment of these documents.