Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 March 2004
134 Ms M. Wallace asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the sewerage pipe for Dunboyne is built to cater for 18,000 PE; if there is approximately 6,000 PE use of the pipe at present; and if he will clarify the matter. [7349/04]
View answer135 Ms M. Wallace asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of funding provided to upgrade and improve the sewerage plant at Ringsend in recent years in order to cater for the greater Dublin area; if this included catering for areas in south County Meath such as Dunboyne; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7350/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together.
My Department has recouped €294 million to Dublin City Council to date in respect of the capital cost of the Dublin Bay wastewater treatment scheme, which includes the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant. The Ringsend plant provides for the wastewater treatment requirements of all of Dublin city and south Dublin, significant areas of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Fingal, and the towns of Ashbourne, Ratoath, Clonee and Dunboyne in County Meath. Meath County Council has an agreement with Fingal County Council for the discharge of wastewater from these towns into Fingal's sewers for onward transmission to the Ringsend plant. The agreement currently provides for a population equivalent, PE, of 6,000 in respect of the Dunboyne-Clonee area.
The design capacity approved by my Department under the water services investment programme in respect of the Dunboyne-Clonee sewerage scheme, which was completed in 1999, was 10,000 PE. The actual capacity provided by the scheme would depend on a number of factors, including pipe diameter, gradient and the roughness co-efficient of the type of pipe used. The ongoing greater Dublin strategic drainage study is reviewing the available capacity in all trunk sewers within the Dublin region. On the basis of this information the study will recommend how capacity in the collection network, and at the Ringsend plant, should be assigned between Dublin and neighbouring local authorities.
