Following the Part 8 approval of the Ballymore Eustace proposed new sewage treatment plant by Kildare County Council on Monday 30th June 2008 a meeting was arranged between the following parties, Kildare County Council, Consultants Nicholas O’Dwyer and the Ballymore Eustace Trout and Salmon Anglers’ Association.
The meeting took place at the site of the existing sewage treatment plant at The Strand, Ballymore Eustace on Tuesday 8th July 2008 at 11. 00a.m.
Present for Kildare County Council Water Services were Alan Dunney and Clodagh Lyons. Nicholas O’Dwyer Consultants were represented by Terry O’Flannagan.
The Association was represented by Gary Bolger, Myles Byrne and Tommy Deegan.
The new sewage treatment plant will be located on the Coughlanstown Road at the far end of the KTK Landfill Site at its border with Campbell’s and Mulryan’s. A new pumping station will be constructed at the existing sewage plant site at The Strand. There will be no changes to the present sewerage system in the village of Ballymore Eustace.
A new large manhole will be constructed at the Liffey Bridge entrance to pick up the present sewage and surface water systems and from this point onwards a new system will be constructed. The old inlet pipe and manholes will be dug up and replaced by a new pipe. This will do away with the present situation where raw sewage overflows into the Liffey from the present inlet pipe manhole.
The existing roadway/entrance to the sewage plant will be moved nearer to the river side of the site i.e. the new roadway/entrance to pumping station will be built over the position of the old inlet pipline. This is to facilitate the new bungalow being built on the Strand. The new gateway entrance at the Bridge will be as per Larry Glancy’s bungalow plans. Kildare County Council will erect a new stud type railing along entrance roadway at Riverside Walk and may have to build a retaining wall alongside roadway entrance.
The new Pumping Station will be constructed on the present sewage plant site. However, the area of the present site will be reduced considerably. The area not being used will be handed over to the community for incorporation into Riverside Walk/Linear Park. Old fencing around the present plant will be removed and overgrown hedge on right hand side (viewed with back to Bridge) will be trimmed and the site landscaped as per consultant landscaper’s advice. New fencing will be erected. The Association requested that all services be laid underground.
The new Pumping Station will consist of a large combined underground foul sewage /stormwater tank with one overflow to the Liffey. Normally there will be no overflow whatsoever from Pumping Station to the Liffey. However, in the event of a severe storm (five year storm) the plant will overflow to the Liffey. We were assured the quality of the overflow, should it happen, will be better than the existing discharge as there will be a screening process in place. The Pumping Station will be fitted with a duty pump and an assist pump and these will be in operation at all times to pump sewage to the new Sewage Treatment Plant at the Kimmeens. The will also be a stand-by pump fitted, i.e. three pumps in total. A stand-by generator will be fitted and in the event of an electricity failure this will cut in automatically.
The only overground structures at the Pumping Station will be a staff building with kitchen and wash and toilet facilities. There will also be a permanent gantry to lift the pumps for maintenance.
Following discussions it was agreed to ask the landscape consultant to recommend a surface dressing for the Riverside Walk pathway, which would be in keeping with its location. A request that Kildare County Council grade the land alongside the pathway so that the grass could be cut using a lawnmower rather than a strimmer was considered to be too expensive.
The rising main from the Pumping Station will be laid using an underground boring machine which will eliminate the need for a continuous trench to be opened. The pipes will be welded together, probably in 100 metre sections and then pulled underground. Trenches or manholes will have to be opened to connect the pipes.
The old surface water block drain at the end of Reilly’s Lane will be piped into the River. The Kildare County Council officials agreed to look at the possibility of constructing a disabled anglers facility at the end of Reilly’s Lane but no commitment was given.
The rising main will then go into Doran’s Park and cross to the Coughlanstown Road through the Dublin City Council pipeline wayleave and from there up the road to the Sewage Treatment Plant site at the Kimmeens.
The outfall from the Sewage Treatment Plant will be laid alongside the rising main and will come back down the road and discharge into the Liffey at Kane’s Ford. The new plant is designed for a Population Equivalent (P.E.) of 2000 with a proposed effluent quality of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) 25 mg/l; Total Suspended Solids (TSS) 35mg/l: and Total Phosphorous (total P) 2mg/l. This compares with the present plant which has a BOD, 189 mg/l; TSS, 174 mg/l: and total P, 8 mg/l. Phosphorous removal will be carried out by dosing Ferric Chloride and not Aluminium Sulphate. When the Sewage Treatment Plant reaches its full capacity, solids removal will be necessary about once per month but not a often as this in the meantime. The solids/sludge will be transported to Osberstown Sewage Treatment Plant for further treatment, such as drying, and will then be converted into pellets for fertilizer use.
The Association was devestated to learn by letter dated 26th February 2009 from the Director of Services, Water Services, Kildare County Council that due to the present economic crises the need for the proposed new Sewage Treatment Plant for Ballymore Eustace was being reviewed by the Department of the Environment and the following letter has been forwarded to the Minister for the Environment
“Ballymore Eustace Trout and Salmon Anglers’ Association
Broadleas, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare.
9th March 2009
Mr. John Gormley,
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government,
Dail Eireann,
Dublin 2,
Re: Proposed New Sewage Treatment Plant at Ballymore Eustace
Dear Minister,
Since it was founded in 1974 the above Association has been asking Kildare County Council to upgrade the overloaded, antiquated and disgraceful Sewage Treatment Plant at The Strand, Ballymore Eustace to prevent it polluting the River Liffey.
In the mid 1980’s Kildare County Council informed us that Ballymore Eustace would be connected to the Upper Liffey Regional Sewage Treatment Plant at Osberstown, Co. Kildare. This never materialized and then the Council informed us that they would construct a separate Sewage Treatment Plant in Ballymore Eustace but this never materialized either.
In 1998 Kildare County Council gave Planning Permission to a Private Developer to construct a new Sewage Treatment Plant on the site of the County Council Plant but when An Bord Pleanala refused planning permission for the proposed huge development that the Private Developer wished to construct in Ballymore Eustace, the Developer, naturally, did not construct a new Sewage Treatment Plant in Ballymore Eustace. By this time raw sewage was overflowing into the Liffey from the Council’s glorified septic tank.
Raw sewage continues to overflow into the Liffey at Ballymore Eustace on a regular basis but still no upgrading of the Sewage Treatment Plant materialised even though downstream of Ballymore Eustace at Leixlip, a large drinking water supply is taken for parts of Dublin City.
The Association continued to make representations to Kildare County Council and to the EPA but still nothing has been done to prevent the pollution of the Liffey at Ballymore Eustace.
In 2006 Kildare County Council passed a Part 8 motion to construct a new Sewage Treatment Plant at Susheen, downstream of Ballymore Eustace village and the Association was delighted that at last something was being done that would prevent raw sewage entering and polluting the Liffey. However, our delight was short lived as the proposed site was deemed unsuitable by the Health Service Executive.
A new Part 8 was passed by Kildare County Council on 30th June 2008 and again the Association was delighted that a new site for the Sewage Treatment Plant had been found at Kimmeens, Ballymore Eustace and we were sure that everything was going full stream ahead when we saw all the test boreholes and surveys being carried out. We were devastated to learn in a reply dated 26th February 2009 from the Director of Services, Water Services, Kildare County Council that the Department of the Environment is now assessing the need for a new Sewage Treatment Plant in Ballymore Eustace. For over thirty years there has been need for a new Sewage Treatment Plant in Ballymore Eustace unless we are to be left to wallow in our own excrement and continue sending sewage polluted water down to Leixlip.
In March 2004, planning permission was granted for 11 houses in Ballymore Eustace but a condition attached stated the houses could not be occupied until the Sewage Treatment Plan was upgraded. Needless to say, we don’t have these houses.
In March 2005, planning permission was granted for a Nursing Home in Ballymore Eustace but again the Nursing Home could not be occupied until the Sewage Treatment Plant was upgraded. We do not have a Nursing Home.
In 2006 An Bord Pleanala refused planning permission for 12 houses and some commercial development in Ballymore Eustace. The only reason for refusal was that there was no proper Sewage Treatment Plant in Ballymore Eustace and the Liffey was already polluted by the existing overloaded plant.
An Bord Pleanala have refused planning permission for three other proposed developments in Ballymore Eustace citing the lack of a proper Sewage Treatment Plant as one of the reasons for each refusal.
The lack of a proper Sewage Treatment Plant has curtailed all development in Ballymore Eustace in recent years and this was borne out by the 2006 Census that showed a reduction in the population of the village.
The latest planning permission granted in the village was for four houses on the 20th March 2008 but again they cannot be occupied until a new Sewage Treatment Plant is constructed.
The above Association respectfully begs you to give Kildare County Council the go ahead for the construction of the New Sewage Treatment Plant at the Kimmeens, Ballymore Eustace and finally bring an end to pollution of the Liffey by raw sewage and allow the village to develop rather than stagnate and die.
Yours sincerely,
______________________________
Thomas Deegan
Honorary Treasurer”
It was hoped the have the Sewage Treatment Plant in operation in the first quarter of 2010.
The Association learned from Kildare County Council on 12th May 2009 that the Department of the Environment now want the local Developers to fund 60% of the cost of the proposed new sewage treatment plant. On hearing this the Association wrote to Jack Wall T.D. on the 12th May requesting him to ask a Parliamentary Question regarding the status of the proposed new sewage plant in Ballymore Eustace.
The following is the question submitted by Jack Wall dated 14th May 2009.
“To ask the Minister for Environment Heritage and Local Government the up to date position in relation to the provision of a new sewerage treatment plant (Details supplied). The views of the Minister in relation to the attached submission that expresses major concern in relation to the delays in regard to the need for the provision of a new plant and if the Minister will make a statement on the matter.
Ballymore Eustace Trout and Salmon Anglers Association, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare.
For written reply.
Jack Wall.”
The Minister replied as follows dated 20th May 2009
“Reply
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Gormley):
The Ballymore Eustace Wastewater Treatment Plant was included for funding in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009 under the Services Land Initiative.
Last month, my Department, following a review of the Serviced Land Initiative in light of developments in the economy at large, and in the housing market in particular during 2008, and having regard to the oversupply of housing in some areas, informed all local authorities that the Initiative was being discontinued. All existing scheme approvals under the Initiative, for which contracts had not being signed or letters of intent had not issued, were withdrawn.
However, local authorities were also informed that where they are of the opinion that the continuation of a scheme is necessary for the proper development of an area, it is open to the relevant authority to make a case to the Department by 29 May 2009 for the scheme to progress. My Department will consider any case that Kildare County Council may make within the specified time limit in respect of this project.”
Jack Wall agreed to contact the Water Services Senior Engineer, Kildare County Council about this reply.
The Ballymore Eustace Trout and Salmon Anglers’ Association sent a letter to the Minister dated 26th May 2009 with enclosed photographic evidence of the raw sewage (see example below) in the Liffey and the disgraceful discharge from the Sewage Plant and a copy was sent to Michael O’Leary and Jack Wall T.D.
Jack Wall responded by letter dated 27th May 2009 with an accompanying letter he had sent to Minister Gormley and another to Michael O’Leary, Water Services Senior Engineer, Kildare County Council.