A public consultation is underway on a draft wastewater strategy for managing Galway City’s growing population and protecting the environment.
The Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy has been published alongside the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Environmental Report and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) for the strategy.
The public consultation runs until Thursday, July 23, with submissions allowed online, via email, or through the post.
The draft strategy is meant to ensure that Galway can support growth sustainably, protect the environment and strengthen climate resilience through 2040, 2055 and 2080.
The National Planning Framework 2040 identifies Galway as one of Ireland’s fastest growing urban areas over the past 50 years and a key driver of development in the West of Ireland.
Galway’s population is projected to increase by approximately 40% between 2022 and 2040.
This level of growth places increasing pressure on existing wastewater infrastructure to meet the demand for new serviced land to support housing, commercial development, and industry.
Sean Laffey with Uisce Éireann said, “This Draft Strategy has been developed using a long term, evidence-based approach to ensure that we can plan future wastewater services with certainty and that we meet the needs of current and future generations who live and work in Galway city and surrounding areas.”
“This strategy is about planning for Galway’s future. We encourage everyone to review the Draft Strategy and its associated documents and to share their views with us during the public consultation period.”
The Draft Strategy reviewed the existing wastewater and network infrastructure across the Galway Metropolitan Area (Galway City and its suburbs) as well as Moycullen and Athenry.
There are currently four wastewater treatment plants within the study area located at Mutton Island (Galway city), Athenry, Baile Chláir (Claregalway) and Moycullen.
Key Recommendations
To address these challenges, the Strategy proposes the following key measures:
- A new Regional Galway East Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is progressed to meet the long-term wastewater treatment needs of the study area and to provide sufficient capacity, resilience and environmental protection up to 2080.
- Enhancements to treatment capacity at Mutton Island and Athenry Wastewater Treatment Plants in the short term to meet population demands. Works on these plants is planned within the 2040 investment cycle.
- Once the new Regional Galway East plant is commissioned, there will be a gradual transfer of loads from Mutton Island and Athenry to reduce loading pressures on the existing plants and manage long term regulatory risk. Mutton Island plant will continue to operate at a reduced capacity and Athenry plant will become a pumping station to transfer load to the new Regional Galway East plant; and
- Decentralised treatment at Moycullen and Baile Chláir (Claregalway) Wastewater Treatment Plants will be maintained with any future upgrades informed by population and economic growth projections.
The Draft Strategy envisages the development of a Regional Galway East Wastewater Treatment Plant, designed to allow for phased expansion.
Over time, wastewater from strategic areas around the city would be transferred away from Mutton Island Wastewater Treatment Plant to the new regional plant. Mutton Island would continue to accept and treat wastewater from a smaller area into the future.
Athenry Wastewater Treatment Plant would transition to operate as a wastewater pumping station, with all flows transferring to the new plant.
These proposals aim to ensure that Galway communities are supported with wastewater infrastructure that facilitates economic and regional development, protects the environment and strengthens climate resilience.
Uisce Éireann is inviting members of the public, community groups, businesses, elected representatives and stakeholders to provide feedback on the Draft Strategy and associated environmental reports.
The consultation documents can be viewed and downloaded at the Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy page.
Submissions can be made until midnight Thursday, July 23 via:
- Online: consult.water.ie
- Email: gws@water.ie
- Post: Uisce Éireann, Galway Wastewater Strategy, 1 Galway Business Park, Upper Newcastle Road, Dangan, Galway H91 A3EF
