#CorkHarbour - Environment Minister Alan Kelly has turned the sod on a new €91 million wastewater treatment facility for Cork Harbour that's set to curb the release of untreated sewage into the water supply.

As Irish Building reports, the new Irish Water plant at Shanbally forms part of the Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Project and aims to end the practice of releasing untreated wastewater into the harbour from locations such as Cobh, Carrigaline and Crosshaven, Passage West, Monkstown and Ringaskiddy - previously identified as pollution blackspots in dire need of secondary treatment facilities.

EPS and Sisk have been awarded the contract to design and build the Shanbally plant, which will have capacity equivalent to a population of 65,000. EPS will operate the facility for up to nine years on behalf of Irish Water upon completion in the second quarter in 2017.

In addition, Shanbally will be only the third such project in Ireland and the UK to employ Nereda biomass technology for sustainable wastewater treatment, following recent upgrades to a plant in Clonakilty and a new facility being completed in Carrigtwohill.