The solution
Irish Water, Ireland’s national utility responsible for providing and developing water and wastewater services throughout Ireland, appointed EPS Group as the main contractor. The Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Project aimed to provide enhanced wastewater treatment, through the development of a new WWTP at Shanbally, County Cork.
Irish Water made an overall investment of €91 million into the €135 million project, which eliminates the discharge of untreated sewage into the Lower Harbour. The project was a massive undertaking, with the new state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant at Shanbally complementing 14 new pumping stations, 30km of new sewers, repair work on existing sewers and a drilled crossing under the estuary. The project was important in terms of protecting the environment, facilitating economic development and providing for a growing population (population equivalent of 72,000).