Uisce Éireann to start upgrade of Athlone Water Treatment Plant to safeguard the water supply to homes and businesses in Athlone

Uisce Éireann, in partnership with Westmeath County Council, is starting the upgrade of the Athlone Water Treatment Plant in order to safeguard the water supply to homes and businesses in Athlone and surrounding areas and to provide for social and economic growth and development. This essential project will be delivered in adherence with HSE and government guidance on Covid-19.

Veolia Water Ireland will deliver this project on behalf of Uisce Éireann. The upgrade will be carried out in two phases. Phase one, which represents an investment of over €4 million, will begin on Monday 8 February 2021 and is expected to be completed by year end. Phase two will follow in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2024.

Speaking about the upgrade project John Gavin, Regional Operations Lead with Uisce Éireann, said "The provision of safe, clean drinking water and safeguarding the water supply in Athlone and surrounding areas for the future is a priority for Uisce Éireann. The upgrade of the water treatment plant will increase capacity of the treatment plant and safeguard the supply for the social and economic development of Athlone. While Uisce Éireann was progressing with plans to upgrade the water treatment plant and in order to provide a more secure supply in Athlone in the short term, Uisce Éireann accelerated our Leakage Reduction Programme last year to improve and secure water supply and reduce the need for water restrictions. These activities and the activities of Westmeath County Council have saved almost 1.5 million litres of water per day, improving our service to our customers in Athlone."

Martin Temple, Asset Delivery Lead for Uisce Éireann, added "We would like to thank our customers in advance for their patience and cooperation while we carry out these essential upgrade works. The existing water treatment plant will be upgraded in two phases, to provide more robust treatment processes at the treatment plant, resulting in an improved water supply for customers, and allow capacity to be increased significantly in order to meet the demands for Athlone into the future."

Uisce Éireann is adhering to government and HSE guidance and in compliance with stringent Covid-19 controls to deliver this essential project.

Uisce Éireann continues to work at this time with our Local Authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services.

For more information on this project, visit our Athlone Water Supply Scheme Upgrade project page.