Work starts on €1.5m Laois sewage plant upgrade
The €1.5m upgrade in Ballyroan will take about a year to complete. File image
A MAJOR upgrade at a sewage treatment plant has just begun in a local village, where the outdated system has blocked development for years.
The €1.5m upgrade to the Ballyroan plant will begin on Monday 18 August and will take about a year to complete.
Uisce Éireann said the project will increase the capacity of the village’s wastewater treatment plant, which is unable to treat waste efficiently.
The issue has caused serious concern regarding sewage effluent in the Ballyroan area for many years, affecting both planning and the environment.
No road traffic delays or disruption to the local water supply are expected during the works, which will be carried out solely on site and will see the construction of new stormwater and sludge tanks, installation of a new treatment system and upgrading of pipes, along with mechanical and electrical upgrades.
The utility said in a statement that the essential works would unlock ‘new opportunities for future growth and development in the area’, with ‘increased treatment capacity to support existing and future development in the community’.
The modern infrastructure will also ‘protect the local environment and ensure compliance with Irish and EU legislation’, according to the company.
Programme manager David Sharry said: ‘This project is part of Uisce Éireann’s commitment to deliver wastewater services necessary to support sustainable housing and economic development in communities across Ireland.
“By investing in the wastewater infrastructure in Ballyroan, we are enabling future growth while safeguarding essential services for current and future generations.”
He added that protection of the environment is “a key priority” for Uisce Éireann, saying: “This critical investment affirms our commitment, which will improve the health and integrity of the environment.”
The works will be carried out for Uisce Éireann by Limerick-based Conway Engineering and are expected to be completed in autumn 2026.
During the planning stage, Uisce Éireann said the existing wastewater treatment plant in Ballyroan was ‘not capable of handling the existing biological load or the hydraulic load’.
The company said the development would upgrade the plant to a design capacity of 900 population equivalent, compared to a current capacity of 600 population equivalent and would meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emission limit values set out in the wastewater discharge licence.
