Summary: A €32 million initiative, the Water Enhancements through Sustainable Treatment (WEST) project, has been launched in Fermanagh to address water pollution across seven counties in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Supported by PEACEPLUS funding, the project introduces innovative, low-carbon wastewater treatment solutions and cross-border cooperation to improve water quality in Lough Erne, Lough Melvin, and Donegal Bay.
🌊 Project Overview
The WEST project was officially launched at Finn Lough Resort on Lough Erne. It targets pollution in Fermanagh, Tyrone, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, and Donegal, where contaminants from agriculture, forestry, urban runoff, and wastewater discharges have long threatened water quality.
Led jointly by NI Water and Uisce Éireann, the initiative will use catchment modelling and sustainable wastewater treatment technologies to design strategies and action plans for approval by regulators on both sides of the border.
🏗️ Infrastructure Upgrades
The project will deliver four low-carbon wastewater treatment upgrades:
- Northern Ireland: Belleek and Garrison
- Republic of Ireland: Ballybay and Blacklion
These facilities will improve treatment for at least 5,000 residents, with capacity for an additional 1,000 people, marking the first large-scale trial of nature-based, low-energy treatment technologies in Ireland.
🤝 Cross-Border Cooperation
Funded under the PEACEPLUS Water Quality Improvement Programme, WEST embodies a collaborative approach to meeting EU Water Framework Directive standards. The initiative builds on earlier cross-border projects such as Catchment Care, SWIM, SWELL, and Source to Tap, which collectively invested more than €55 million in water quality improvements.
🗣️ Leadership Voices
- James Browne TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: “Cooperation is vital to ensure the protection and improvement of water quality across the region. The shared approach of this PEACEPLUS-funded project embodies what is needed to improve water quality in a sustainable manner.”
- Liz Kimmins, Minister for Infrastructure: “Through innovative new approaches and upgrades to wastewater treatment, the WEST Project will bring benefits to our border communities by improving water quality in Lough Erne, Lough Melvin and Donegal Bay.”
- Gina McIntyre, SEUPB Chief Executive: “WEST will introduce unique cross-border catchment models and strategies which, although common in Europe, have never before been trialled on this scale on the island of Ireland.”
🌍 Environmental Impact
By treating the entire catchment as a single ecosystem, WEST aims to reduce pollution, protect natural habitats, and promote a greener, lower-carbon environment. The project is expected to enhance biodiversity, improve public health, and strengthen the region’s appeal for residents, visitors, and investors.
In summary: The €32 million WEST project represents a landmark in cross-border environmental cooperation, combining innovative wastewater treatment with sustainable catchment management to safeguard water quality in Ireland and Northern Ireland’s most vulnerable river basins.
