Wastewater Collection, Treatment and Disposal

SDD Joint Venture / Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Bray Town Council

RPS provided Civil and Architectural design services for this high performing, sustainable wastewater facility providing a safe, hygienic environment with successful integration into the surrounding landscape.

The Shanganagh Bray Waste Water Treatment Plant, one of the largest in Ireland, has capacity to treat effluent from a 186,000 population equivalent and the potential to increase capacity to 248,000 in the future for a large conurbation on the Dublin/ Wicklow border.

RPS provided civil and architectural design services on the €98.5m project, which involved the upgrading of the existing Shanganagh Wastewater Treatment Works to provide high level secondary treatment, and the laying of a pipeline from Bray Pumping Station to the new Shanganagh plant to bring wastewater for treatment.

The Shanganagh Bray Waste Water Treatment Plant brings to an end the discharge of untreated wastewater into the Irish Sea and safeguards and protects water quality at Killiney Beach and Bray Strand to meet EU standards. It represents ‘state of the art’ innovative technology in wastewater and sludge treatment, energy recovery and environmental management to standards which set new benchmarks for excellence for such plants in Ireland.

Irish Water

RPS has completed the design and construction supervision of a new €3.2m wastewater treatment plant and collection system in County Waterford.

The project comprised construction of a new 750 PE treatment plant and 4km of gravity sewers, including a storm overflow pipe laid 190m out into the River Suir. The treatment processes and infrastructure will ensure the local environment is better protected from the adverse effects of urban wastewater with a significant improvement in the water quality of the River Suir.

The new plant will provide the village of Cheekpoint with a modern sewage collection and treatment system capable of meeting current and future development needs. The old septic tank systems which only provided primary treatment have been decommissioned and the new plant is fully operational. A higher standard of wastewater treatment, comprising primary and secondary treatment processes and UV disinfection, complies with the required Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive Standards and the European Council Shellfish Directive.

Dublin City Council & Six other Local Authorities

Examined the systems, policies and future requirements of the entire Dublin region for foul and storm water

This project involved design and construction of a new collection system, upgraded wastewater treatment plant and a new sludge treatment facility. It provides significant environmental benefits for the town of Portlaoise, its environs and the wider community.

RPS (as part of a joint venture) carried out a major strategic study of the entire urban drainage system (foul, storm and river system) and defined a strategy to deal with the infrastructure needs of the Region. The Region includes the four Dublin Local Authorities plus large areas of counties Wicklow, Kildare and Meath covering a population of some 1.4m people.

The Strategy, costed at well over €1billion, set out proposals for wastewater collection and treatment, stormwater drainage and environmental management of receiving streams and rivers. It developed best practice policies for Operation and Maintenance, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDs) and dealing with basements.

The £45 million North Coast Wastewater Treatment Scheme for Northern Ireland Water (NIW) was officially opened in November 2007.

RPS, together with its joint venture partner, provided technical and project management services from concept through to construction, commissioning and handover.

This project has greatly improved the quality of bathing waters in the area by removing discharges of untreated wastewater. Four of Northern Ireland’s most popular beaches: Castlerock Strand, Portstewart Strand, Portrush Mill and Curran Strands (as well as the water in the tidal stretch of the River Bann) all benefit from the scheme. The new activated sludge plant should comfortably accommodate future growth in the area until 2030.

Laois County Council

Award winning wastewater treatment in Irish Midlands

This project involved design and construction of a new collection system, upgraded wastewater treatment plant and a new sludge treatment facility. It provides significant environmental benefits for the town of Portlaoise, its environs and the wider community.

The use of a gravity sewerage system in place of older pumping stations has reduced energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Improvements in water quality and the local environment were also achieved, particularly water quality in the Triogue River, which has allowed aquatic life to return and has provided enhanced protection to the River Barrow Special Area of Conservation 5km downstream. The project included a state of the art sludge management facility that has the capacity to treat all municipal sludges generated in County Laois. It was awarded the Engineers Ireland Environmental Infrastructure Award in November 2011.