A €220 million sewage treatment plant was opened by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, in Limerick yesterday.
The Limerick Main Drainage Wastewater Treatment Plant, at Bunlicky on the Dock Road, is a key component of the biggest engineering scheme undertaken in Limerick for over a century.
The project involves the elimination of some 50 sewer outfalls which had been discharging directly into the Shannon and Abbey rivers.
Limerick City Council, Limerick County Council and Clare County Council came together for the project, which received backing from the EU Cohesion Fund and from the Government.
Much of the plant is underground, and landscaping of the 20-acre site will further screen it from the public. The project engineer, Mr Michael Adam, said 80 per cent of the sewage from the city and surrounding area was being treated at the plant.
The main drainage project was 95 cent complete, with the rest due to be operational within 18 months. The treatment works have the capacity to serve a population of 130,000, with room for expansion.
"This will be advantageous for swimmers and pleasure activities in general," he said. Limerick and the surrounding area will now be fully compliant with EU directives on urban waste treatment and will meet international quality standards.
The Mayor of Limerick, Cllr Dick Sadlier, said urban renewal had resulted in the focus of development moving to the waterfront of the Shannon. "Now at last the Shannon in no longer being used for discharging sewage," he added.