Beaches in Dublin are worthy of Blue Flag status following the introduction of new sewerage works this summer, Dublin City Council has said.
The council opened the Sutton pumping station yesterday, completing a €400 million investment in the city's sewerage system which almost eliminates the dumping at sea of untreated household and commercial water-waste. The station receives wastewater from Finglas, Ballymun, Baldoyle and Sutton via a new 27km north fringe sewer, which was also formally opened yesterday.
It pumps such waste through a new 10.5km submarine pipeline across Dublin Bay to the Ringsend wastewater treatment works, where it undergoes a four-stage cleaning process.
The north fringe sewer will also make more serviced land available for housing and business development in north Co Dublin.
Planning permission has already been granted for more than 14,000 residences in the areas of Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council covered by the sewer.
The deputy city engineer, Mr Battie White, said there had been a "marked improvement in water quality" since June when the new works at Ringsend were introduced.
"Since the new works came on stream this summer, generally speaking the beaches in Dublin have met Blue Flag water quality status," he said.
The Sutton plant was officially opened by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Royston Brady, and the cathaoirleach of Fingal County Council, Mr Seán Dolphin, also spoke at the ceremony.
Mr Ahern said the project was "enormously important". He said the combined projects would reduce discharges into the sea by 90 per cent.
Mr Brady said the water in the Tolka and Santry rivers was cleaner than it had been for more than 300 years as a result of the investment. "Up until now the sewer system overflowed into local rivers and streams," he said.
A small group of protesters demonstrated against the "greenwaste" facility at St Anne's Park in Raheny, north Dublin, at yesterday's ceremony.
