§ Lord Kilclooneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proposals there are to provide a new sewage disposal works in the village of Ballywalter, County Down. [HL2314]
§ The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs Katharine Bryan) has replied to the noble Lord in response to this Question.
Letter from Mr Trevor Haslett (on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Water Service) to Lord Kilclooney dated 7 April 2004.
You recently asked Her Majesty's Government a Parliamentary Question (PQ 1197) about proposals to provide a new sewage disposal works in the village of Ballywalter, County Down. The Chief Executive of Water Service was asked to respond as the issue falls within her operational responsibility, and I am replying on her behalf as she is currently on annual leave.
Under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations (NI) 1995, Water Service will have to upgrade waste water treatment facilities at a number of coastal discharge points on the east coast of the Ards peninsula, including Ballywalter. It is estimated that this will cost around £10 million, and is part of a larger investment of around £650 million required to upgrade waste water treatment works across Northern Ireland over the next six years. This level of investment cannot be met by public expenditure alone. Water Service, in liaison with the Strategic Investment Board, is therefore taking forward a major public/private partnership programme to upgrade both water and waste water treatment facilities. The provision of new waste water facilities for the east coast of the Ards peninsula is currently included in the £130 million PPP waste water programme and it is planned to award the contracts for the procurement of the waste water infrastructure projects in 2007.