Two Meath sites in shortlist for regional biosolids facility

Two local sites are among the five sites shortlisted by Irish Water for a regional biosolids storage facilty that will store 48,000m3 of sludge, a by product of the wastewater treatment process.

A 12.5 hectares site at Bracetown/Gunnocks beside the Bracetown Business Park and a 14.5 hectares site at Gunnocks, near Dunboyne town are both being considered for the facility after 150 potential sites were shortlisted down to just five. Both sites are described as being easily accessible to the M3 motorway.

The site at Bracetown and Gunnocks which is close to Dunboyne town.

Two sites close to the M2 are also being considered. An 11.4 hectares site at Newtown/Kilshane, Dublin 11, that has been previously partially developed as a waste management/recycling facility
but is no longer required for its intended purpose, and an 11.3 hectares at Woodlands/Kilshane, Dublin 11

The final shortlisted site is a 12.5 hectares site at Greenogue, Co Dublin, in the townlands of Collegeland and Commons.

The five potential sites will now proceed to a detailed assessment phase. Irish Water is undertaking a five week period of non-statutory consultation which runs until 15th June and is seeking views from the public.

 

The adjacent site at Gunnocks close to Dunboyne, which is also being considered for the facility.

Irish Water will hold a public open day  on Monday, 22nd May at the Oak Centre, Dunboyne from 1pm to 7pm where the project team will be available to meet with the public and all interested stakeholders

A third non-statutory phase of public consultation will take place on the preferred site once it is identified later this year. The preferred site will undergo all necessary environmental studies and assessments and will be included in the planning applications for both the upgrade of the Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant and the proposed new Greater Dublin Drainage project.

Irish Water intends to lodge planning applications for these projects within the next 12 months to An Bord Pleanála.

Biosolids are a treated by-product of the wastewater treatment process. . Approximately 98 per cent of biosolids produced in Ireland are reused on agricultural land. The biosolids can only be applied to lands during the planting seasons each spring and autumn and need to be stored for the rest of the year.

According to Irish Water, in the coming years the quantity of biosolids being produced in the greater Dublin region is expected to exceed the currently available storage capacity as new and upgraded wastewater plants are completed to meet the needs of our growing population.

Following further studies and feedback received during a public consultation held earlier this year, Irish Water identified the five potential sites and say factors taken into account in selecting the sites included whether land was appropriately zoned, the proximity to the relevant wastewater treatment sites and the road network to the sites.

Announcing the second round of public consultation for this project, Donal O’Connor, Project Manager, Irish Water said, “Irish Water is focused on a strategic solution to meet projected demand for wastewater treatment within greater Dublin which will benefit the region by facilitating the growth of homes and jobs. This means effectively and efficiently developing and managing our wastewater treatment network. We are upgrading all existing treatment facilities and adding new wastewater plants and networks to meet future demand within the region. The new Regional Biosolids Storage Facility will be a key part of our future wastewater infrastructure.”

More information is available on www.water.ie/projects-plans/biosolids