Lack of sewage treatment capacity sparks concerns in Nenagh, Ballycommon and Cloughjordan
A DECISION by Tipperary County Council on whether to grant permission to Uisce Éireann to carry out a major upgrade on the wastewater treatment plant in Nenagh is due next month.
The imminent decision comes as councillors express concerns that badly needed new housing in the town could yet be stalled due to lack of treatment capacity in the existing treatment plant.
Even if the council does grant permission for the upgrade in Nenagh, councillors are concerned that the upgrade could take a number of years to complete.
Cllr Seamus Morris has already stated that the works may not be completed until 2028, raising questions over whether a stall could be put on new houses being built in the town due to capacity issues.
At the December meeting of the Nenagh Municipal District, other councillors have similar concerns in relation to villages such as Ballycommon and Clougjordan, where lack of capacity in treatment plants is hindering development.
Elected members were informed that a decision on the application by Uisce Éireann to increase capacity in the sewage plant in Nenagh is due on February 14.
The council’s senior executive planner, Jonathan Flood, said the existing plant situated on the Old Birr Road is designed to cater for a population of 12,000.
Mr Flood said Uisce Éireann was proposing to increase the capacity substantially to cater for a population of 22,000. “This would be a very significant upgrade,” he said.
VITAL
Cllr Joe Hannigan said it was vital that works take place to upgrade the treatment plants in places like Nenagh, Ballycommon and Cloughjordan.
He said there were plans by a developer to build up to 40 new houses in Ballycommon, but unfortunately the plan was stalled because the village treatment plant was operating at capacity. Moves by Uisce Éireann to upgrade the plant were taking too long.
“I think we’re are a small bit hobbled in terms of the capacity of the plant in Ballycommon,” said Cllr Hannigan.
He urged the council to help facilitate a meeting between officials of Uisce Éireann and the developer hoping to build the new houses in the village to see if a way could be found to progress matters.
In response to questions by Cllr Hannigan in relation to Cloughjordan, Mr Flood said the village sewage treatment plant needed to be upgraded before the council could consider taking fully in charge an estate in Townsfields in the village.
Cllr John Carroll expressed concerns for future development in a number of villages throughout the Nenagh District.
“There will be stagnation in a lot of villages if their wastewater treatment plants are not upgraded. We need to impress this situation on Irish Water,” he said.
Senior Planner, Anne-Marie Devaney, said she could not disagree with the concerns outlined. The council had already made its views known to Uisce Éireann.
She said future development in several small settlements throughout Tipperary were contingent on having proper wastewater treatment systems in place.
Ms Devaney said there were provisions within the system for private developers to help fund the delivery of proper treatment plants in villages.
In relation to the situation in Cloughjordan, Ms Devaney said the village was included in Uisce Éireann’s strategic investment programme for small towns and villages. On Ballycommon, she said any private developer could seek talks with the water company in relation to carrying upgrades on the local sewage plant.