Wastewater treatment on River Finn ‘a matter of urgency’ – Cllr McGowan

Finn Valley Councillor Patrick McGowan has given a cautious welcome to Irish Water plan to tackle the Castlefinn wastewater system.

IW informed Cllr McGowan that the total capital requirement to address the Castlefinn wastewater treatment is not included in the 2017-2021 IP as it did not align with the national investment drivers applied in the current investment period.

Irish Water has however submitted a joint bid with Northern Ireland Water for funding under the EU funded Interreg VA Programme to improve quality of the shared waters of Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough and their catchments.

It is intended that this funding will be used to address wastewater treatment plants and sewage collection networks within the catchments that have a measurable detrimental effect on water quality.

Cllr Patrick McGowan

Castlefinn is included as a candidate site in the bid but Cllr McGowan has said he was informed that a decision is yet to be made on the outcome of the bid.

Cllr McGowan said: “Towns & Villages Sewerage treatment facilities on the Finn such as Castlefin, Lifford, Liscooley, Killygordon- Dromore – Cross, Brockagh all need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

“The Government are pushing for new developments to be located within towns and villages but the necessary infrastructure is not there at present and the existing tanks are totally inadequate and very much the case of the cart before the horse.”