Posted online: Apr 25th, 2008

By Elaine McFadden
elaine@letterkennypost.com
A waster water facility at Magherenan in Letterkenny to cost €29 million has been approved by tender this week, with a contractor awarded the project that will take charge of Letterkenny’s growing water needs and ultimately provide cleaner water in Lough Swilly.
The decision has been met with enthusiasm by one of its most ardent campaigners.
Councillor Neil Clarke, who brought to the attention of the Letterkenny Town Council last month the problem of raw sewage seeping into Lough Swilly, has said that he is thrilled with this week’s news that will guarantee cleaner water for the river.
“I am delighted that this has finally been approved and it has been one of my pet projects since before I was elected,” Cllr Clarke told the Letterkenny Post yesterday, Wednesday.
“I was worried that the council was lagging behind there for a while. Minister for the Environment John Gormley had assured me that he had been pushing for this project on the Europe side and that there were no hold ups on his end.
What was happening at the Swilly was completely illegal and now that this has been approved, we don’t want to take the foot off the pedal too soon. Let’s get the show on the road,” he continued.
Residents from the Magherenan and Ballyraine area were of Cllr Clarke’s primary concern also, and he is now happy with the results for their sake.
“The Swilly is a special place to Letterkenny, but with the problems of late, it has hardly been an amenity. For the people living there, this is great news, as there was an odour coming of it.
“It is possible to reverse the damage from what we have seen in other parts of Europe, but the will needs to be there also,” Cllr Clarke concluded.
The new scheme will include a new wastewater treatment plant, a sludge treatment plant, pumping stations, new storm-water treatment, rising mains and the upgrade of sewers and the contract will be a design/build and operate one.