The €114 million landmark project will facilitate sustainable growth and development, whilst meeting the needs of homes and businesses.
At present, there are 18 storm water overflow outlets within the Athlone Town main drainage system with frequent sewer flooding in the town due to insufficient capacity in the sewer network. Once completed the new scheme will enhance the environment, especially the River Shannon's water quality and significantly reduce the risk of sewer flooding to homes and businesses.
Tunnelling works have now commenced, whereby an additional 2.8km of new sewers will be installed to convey wastewater from homes and businesses to the wastewater treatment plant.
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By using a specialised Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) to fit the new pipeline, disruption to the local community will be minimised. This is due to a significant proportion of the construction work taking place underground without the need for open-cut excavation.
Eunan Canavan, Portfolio Manager at Uisce Éireann, said: "This is a landmark project for Athlone and its surrounding communities, and we are looking forward to delivering it on their behalf.
"The project itself is one of the largest capital investments by Uisce Éireann to date and will bring numerous benefits to the local community and environment. It is a massive undertaking for us and our delivery partners, and today marks another major milestone as tunnelling works are now underway, which takes us one step closer to ensuring that wastewater is adequately treated and meets appropriate standards before being safely discharged to the environment."
Liam McDaniel, Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, stated: "I am delighted to see the significant progress made to date with this essential investment for Athlone which is fundamental to the growth of our area. The provision of adequate wastewater infrastructure, not only for our existing population but for our future growth, is vital so that we are ready to meet the opportunities of the coming years. I would like to thank Uisce Éireann and Westmeath County Council and commend them for their hard work, 24/7, to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services."
