Killea lies directly on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and is approximately 3km from the River Foyle. The Killea Wastewater Treatment Plant (WwTP) agglomeration is centred around the R237 Letterkenny to Derry Road and treats wastewater from housing in the surrounding area.
The wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure in Killea currently suffers from a number of deficiencies, as follows:
Killea WwTP is overloaded and needs to be upgraded to meet the needs of the town and to protect the environment.
There is a need to improve the wastewater treatment here so that the receiving water is not impacted. The size of the wastewater treatment plant needs to be upgraded as well as the level of treatment.
The works being carried out under the SWELL project will ensure that wastewater is treated and discharged in compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Regulations.
The upgrade works are also needed to increase the treatment capacity of the plant to allow for future economic development and improved water quality in the town and surrounding areas.
In order to overcome the current deficiencies, the following infrastructural upgrades will be delivered at the Killea WwTP:
» Construction of a new 850 Population Equivalent (PE) wastewater treatment plant on the existing site providing secondary treatment, with nitrification and phosphorus removal. This will entail development of a new inlet works, storm water holding tank, secondary biological treatment process and final settlement tanks, new control building and new sludge thickening facility.
» The existing treatment system is to be decommissioned.
» Storm water storage capacity is to be constructed at the WwTP rather than at the pumping station where space is limited.
We are currently at the design phase of the project. It is expected that construction will start in Q3 2020 with works complete by the end of 2021.
