A landmark wastewater project in Athlone to resolve a decades-long problem of sewage overflowing into the town and the River Shannon during heavy rains has been completed.
Construction of the €114 million Athlone Main Drainage Scheme began in January 2023 and involved major engineering works throughout the town over the three years.
It is one of the largest wastewater infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Ireland.
Uisce Éireann has described it as a once in a generation project.
While much of the new infrastructure built is located deep underground, the scale and complexity of the project was substantial.
Over 3km of new, large sewers were installed beneath the town, with much of the work completed using tunnelling techniques to minimise disruption at street level.
Two tunnels were also constructed beneath the riverbed, connecting the network under the River Shannon from east to west.
Two new pumping stations were also built at Golden Island and Coosan.
The project saw the decommissioning of six storm sewer overflows and five older pumping stations.
As well as addressing the long-standing issues with sewer flooding in the town, the project also addresses the lack of waste water capacity and poor environmental compliance.
Athlone was one of the locations cited in a 2019 European Court of Justice judgment against Ireland for failure to comply with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, regarding the discharge of untreated stormwater into sensitive areas.
The Shannon is a designated nutrient sensitive area.
The completion of the project now increases capacity for new housing and development, and supports recreation, tourism, and biodiversity along one of Ireland's most important waterways.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne is attending an official event in Athlone to mark the completion of the project.
