Minutes:
The Committee was advised that Mr. Grahame Millar, Head of Wastewater Networks Capital Delivery, Mr. David McCullough, Wastewater Assets Senior Manager, and Dr. Steve Blockwell, Head of Strategic Investment Planning, from Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) were in attendance and they were admitted to the meeting.
Mr. Millar provided the Committee with NI Water’s key promises to its customers, which included providing clean and safe drinking water, dealing with the effects of climate change, protecting and enhancing the natural environment and taking care of wastewater.
He outlined a number of top investments which NI Water was carrying out within Belfast, including refurbishment work at the Belfast Wastewater Treatment Works at Duncrue, a new Storm Drain at the site of the new Olympia Leisure Centre and Windsor Park Stadium and £4 million worth of work completed at the Sydenham Wastewater Pumping Station.
The Members were advised that, in the longer term, NI Water was looking at Belfast Treatment works for the future population under the programme ‘Living with Water’. He advised the Committee that the Ormeau Avenue Sewage project, which would go along Sandy Row to stop the pollution which was currently going into the Lagan, would hopefully be put out to tender in the New Year. It was pointed out to the Members that this project would likely cause traffic disruption in the city centre while works were ongoing but that it was a significant and worthwhile scheme.
The Committee was also provided with an update on the Glenmachan Strategic Project at Greystown Avenue and Upper Malone for Flood Alleviation, which was a joint project between NI Water and the Rivers Agency. He pointed out that this would also go out to tender in the New Year, with works likely to begin in Spring 2017, and expected to take 18 months to complete.
Mr. Millar provided the Members with an overview of a number of current public initiatives which NI Water had implemented, included a Smartphone app to report leaks and a number of awareness-raising campaigns. He advised the Members that NI Water worked well with the Council in relation to major incident planning and that the recent mock exercise which they had run together had been a success.
In relation to a Member’s question regarding the awareness-raising campaigns, such as ‘Fats, Oils and Grease’ or ‘Bag it and Bin it’, Mr. McCullough confirmed that while mass leaflet drops were not included, they were happy to take direction from elected representatives on specific groups which they felt could benefit from educational material.
The Director of Property and Projects sought confirmation from the representatives that the 3G pitches and training facilities which the Council had planned for the King George V Playing Fields in the next year could work with the £25 million Living with Water works which were planned for the north east corner of the Playing Fields, to ensure that work on both projects could proceed without disrupting the other. The Head of Wastewater Networks Capital Delivery confirmed that they would be happy to liaise with the Council in this regard.
In response to a Member’s question regarding the Living with Water scheme, the Director of Property and Projects advised that a report would be submitted to a future Committee meeting to provide the Members with an update.
The Head of Wastewater Networks Capital Delivery advised the Committee that a ‘Blue Green Cities Infrastructure Conference’ was being held in the City Hall on Thursday, 24th November, and that all interested Members were welcome to attend.
After discussion, the Chairperson thanked the representatives for their presentation and they retired from the meeting.
Noted.