en.Wedoany.com Reported - Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) has completed an upgrade project at Ballylisk Water Treatment Plant, aimed at improving water quality, enhancing water supply security, and increasing plant operational efficiency.

The project, which commenced in March 2023, primarily involved the construction of a new treatment building to raise water treatment standards and increase emergency storage capacity. A new pumping station was also built to improve the overall operational efficiency of the plant.

Following the upgrade, water supply security and quality in the Coleraine area will be improved. The plant supplies water to the Portrush and Ballymoney areas, and provides partial supply to the Limavady and Derry/Londonderry regions. The upgraded treatment capacity ensures continued compliance with the requirements of the Water Supply Regulations.

Tzvetelina Bogoina, NI Water's Infrastructure Delivery Director, stated that this investment will bring benefits to customers across the wider Coleraine area, including improved drinking water quality and supply security. She noted that the project has strengthened the resilience of the local water network, providing additional security, particularly during periods of high demand or emergencies, protecting and future-proofing water infrastructure for local customers, businesses, and tourism. She described this as an example of NI Water delivering a multi-million pound project on time and within budget in Northern Ireland.

Bernadette Corr, Chief Drinking Water Inspector at the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, added that she welcomes NI Water's investment in upgrading the Ballylisk Water Treatment Plant to ensure compliance with the enforcement notice issued by the department's Drinking Water Inspectorate. She believes these improvements will help protect and enhance the quality of drinking water supplied to consumers, strengthen regulatory compliance, improve the purity and consumer acceptability of drinking water, and help safeguard public health.

The entire upgrade was carried out in a carefully planned sequence, ensuring the plant remained operational throughout the construction period. As part of the project, new assets—including a new GAC treatment building and a new pumping station—were fully commissioned and tested before being brought into service, ensuring no customers experienced water supply interruptions during the upgrade.

NI Water's contractor, DLJ Water Ltd, delivered this major project with project management support from RPS Tetratech.