Even though the cryptosium and lead contamination crises of 2008 are likely to act as virtual guarantees of government investment to 2011, Dublin and Galway aren’t going to be the only winners of the government’s Water Services Investment Programme (WSIP). County Cork actually boasts the most projects (29 for the county in 2009-2011 and 5 for Cork City) due to come on stream during our forecasted period. Donegal too is one of the more unexpected winners of the plan, with 22 projects due to come on stream. Yet such a level of investment still falls short of the country’s infrastructure needs. Estimates compiled by engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald Pettit for Forfás show four cities (Dublin, Galway, Letterkenny and Athlone) will be facing a capacity deficit in either water treatment or wastewater treatment to 2013, even after the full rollout of the WSIP . During the 2009-2011 time frame, new infrastructure projects tally €2.2 billion, flood alleviation initiatives €170 million and Repair, Maintenance and Improvements (RMI), including the costly roll out of pipe replacement and water mains rehabilitation stage of a number of local authorities’ water conservation programmes, will be of about €1 billion. However budget concerns and a lack of government update on the status of water services projects to 2011 opens the question of whether or not some projects could be scaled back, as approval for funding still needs to be granted by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DoEHLG). The information provided is an extract from the CMG Business Information Report 2009 - 2011: Trends, Forecasts and Business Opportunities. To order your copy, click here>> Updates will be published as and when they occur.

Want to find out the list of projects due to come on stream in the next three years on a county-by-county basis? Click here>>

Portrane, Donabate, Rush and Lusk Wastewater Treatment Scheme (2009, €62 million) and Ringsend extension (2010, €66 million) Dublin’s new 850,000 p.e. wastewater scheme has two principal elements, a Design/Build/Operate (DBO) contract for the treatment plant and a contract for sewer network upgrade/expansion. However the plan has raised some local opposition and still needs to go through a public hearing. The Ringsend plant, already operating at overcapacity, will be extended to 2.16 million p.e. capacity pending planning approval.

A number of public private partnership projects also present significant opportunities as listed below.

Low likelihood of privatization but RMI side to grow Privatising Ireland’s major water and wastewater treatment plants is an unlikely proposition to 2011 although the move is likely to be considered by a cash strapped Irish republic. Meanwhile, water services Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) output is likely to reach higher levels than previously seen.