en.Wedoany.com Reported - Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) has recently completed the construction of a reed bed wastewater treatment facility at Ahanlough, County Fermanagh, utilizing the innovative Phragmafiltre® process. The facility contains over 10,000 reeds with a planting area of 3,000 square meters. It comprises six reed beds with a total area equivalent to 16 tennis courts. The Phragmafiltre® process harnesses natural reed bed systems to treat wastewater, requiring minimal energy input and significantly reducing the number of mechanical components used compared to conventional wastewater treatment plants.
Michael Donnelly, Senior Project Manager at NI Water, stated: "NI Water is committed to using sustainable wastewater treatment methods wherever possible. This new environmentally friendly system installed at Ahanlough has been tested and proven across Europe and is widely applied in rural areas with sufficient land for constructing a series of reed beds. By letting nature do the work, the new treatment plant will purify wastewater more efficiently to the required environmental standards. With fewer mechanical components used in the plant, maintenance needs will be reduced, thereby saving operating costs for NI Water."
The wastewater treatment facility was constructed by Lowry Building & Civil Engineering (Castlederg) and Avove Ireland (Newry) as part of the DLJ Water joint venture. TetraTech of Belfast provided project management and technical support. DLJ Water is a long-term joint venture between Deane Public Works, Lowry Building & Civil Engineering, and Avove Ireland, aiming to deliver high-quality, sustainable water and wastewater infrastructure across Ireland.
Michael Donnelly added: "The new nature-based Ahanlough treatment plant is a low-carbon, low-energy facility that blends seamlessly into the landscape and will serve the area sustainably for 20 years. These reed beds create a thriving habitat for birds, insects, and other wildlife, and provide natural rainwater defenses that will protect and enhance local waterways."
Prior to this, NI Water has implemented nature-based wastewater treatment solutions at Ballykelly (completed in 2022), Loughries (County Down), Stoneyford (County Antrim), Craby (County Fermanagh), and Castle Archdale (County Fermanagh). Similar Phragmifiltre® systems are currently under construction in the town of Robinstown, outside Portadown (County Armagh), as well as in Garrison, County Fermanagh.
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