In 2011 a Design Build and Operate Contract for the Water Abstraction and Treatment Plant at Srowland, Athy, Co. Kildare was awarded to Veolia Water Ireland at a cost €24.6 million. The Contract work included the construction of a new Drinking Water Treatment Plant with a capacity to produce 40 million litre of treated water per day and where Veolia Water Ireland will continue to operate and maintain the plant for a period of 20 years.
The site of the Water Treatment Plant is located adjacent to the River Barrow approximately 3km northwest of Athy Town. Water is abstracted from the river into a large storage pond (120 million litre) providing security of supply of raw (untreated) water throughout the year. The new treatment plant removes any impurities present in the raw water and ensures that the final water output has been adequately treated to international best practice to achieve compliance with current drinking water regulations and, and to ensure that the treated water is perfectly safe to distribute into the drinking water network.
The treated water is then pumped through newly constructed 400mm and 700mm diameter rising mains to the existing network distribution reservoirs at Ardscull and Old Kilcullen. The 400mm and 700mm diameter rising mains were constructed by John Cradock Ltd and Ward & Burke Construction respectively.
Supply from the new plant into the network commenced in July 2013. The plant is currently producing approximately 10 million litres of treated water per day, supplying the local Athy Region as well as contributing to the supply in the central areas of County Kildare including the towns of Kilcullen, Newbridge and Kildare Town.
Production at the plant is expected to increase gradually over a number of years to provide a greater proportion of supply to central Kildare and reduce Kildare's dependency on the Dublin City Council controlled Water Treatment Plant in Ballymore Eustace.
The new Water Treatment Plant in Srowland Athy will result in an improved security of supply for Kildare and the Greater Dublin Region. (from Kildare Co. Co. Press Release).