Belturbet water plant to trial Reed Beds
Irish Water contacted the Council back in January notifying them of their plan to construct the “research pilot project” at the Belturbet Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Irish Water is hoping to trial a research pilot project at Belturbet Wastewater Treatment Plant which will see the installation of reed beds a way of sustainably managing water treatment sludge.
In total six reed beds will be installed at the facility at Naughan, on the outskirts of the erneside town.
A submission was lodged last month by Irish Water with Cavan County Council detailing the proposal which is to construct Alum Sludge Drying Reed Beds Small Scale Trial Facility consisting of six Sludge Drying Reed Beds, each 11.0m2 in size.
The plan is also to build a single 10m3 Sludge tank together with all associated site works.
Irish Water contacted the Council back in January notifying them of their plan to construct the “research pilot project” at the Belturbet Wastewater Treatment Plant.
A spokesperson for Irish Water informed: “It is intended that the research project will look at how Irish Water can improve ways in which residual materials arising from producing drinking water can be managed. Irish Water plans to investigate if reed beds consisting of layers of gravel and sand planted with reeds will be effective in separating solids from water treatment residuals.”
They added that the Reed Beds process is based on a natural treatment process and could provide for sustainable long term management of water treatment residuals.
Other beneficial characteristics of this process ate that it would be a more cost effective way to manage and dewater these residuals compared with current methods; provide a habitat that will support a wide range of biodiversity; and act as natural carbon sequester, removing carbon from the atmosphere.
The use of reed beds would furthermore reduce the need for chemicals within the treatment process, and hopefully produce a cleaner filtrate material than conventional systems.
Subject to planning permission, it is expected that the pilot reed beds would be constructed within six months.
The research would take approximately three years to complete.
“Irish Water will be happy to provide further updates one the project proceeds,” the spokesperson added.
A decision on the proposal is expected in early March.