Assembly Written Question 18085/17-22

To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) to outline any water supply and wastewater capacity issues that exist in the (a) Whitehead; (b) Islandmagee; (c) Ballygalley; (d) Milltown; (e) Glenarm; (f) Carnlough; (g) Glenariff; and (h) Cushendall areas; and (j) any other villages or settlements in East Antrim; and (ii) how Northern Ireland Water is working to resolve these capacity issues.

Answer: NI Water has advised that no drinking water supply capacity issues have been identified in the East Antrim area. However, wastewater network and treatment capacity issues have been identified in parts of the Larne, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Greenisland, Ballycarry, Portglenone, Tully Road (Carnlough and Glenarm), Whitehead/Ballystrudder/Ballycarry, Cushendall and Cushendun wastewater treatment works.

In terms of resolving issues in the East Antrim area, NI Water plans to upgrade Larne waste water treatment works (WwTWs) and its sewer catchment (Larne / Blackcave) during the period covered by its Price Control - PC21 (April 2021 – March 2027). Current estimates are ca£30 million and the upgrade is subject to funding by the NI Executive of the PC21 Business Plan. Areas assessed as nearing capacity, by NI Water’s sewerage network capacity mapping tool, are not in the PC21 business plan but may be subject to future PC27 (2027-2033) business planning prioritisation processes and funding. In areas where capacity is constraining development, NI Water can consider the provision of positive planning responses for these areas where developers can demonstrate: (1) like for like development, (2) extant previously approved development (where NI Water has given a positive response) and (3) where the development will offer a reduced loading on the sewer network, which may include storm separation and/or attenuation. In addition, NI Water has put in place a Solution Engineering Team which can assess options for storm water offsetting within a catchment that may be funded by developers to facilitate a proposed development.