A £19.5 million upgrade to Ballinrees Water Treatment Works in Coleraine has been completed, aiming to improve drinking water quality and secure supplies for tens of thousands of customers.

The project, which began in March 2023, included constructing a new treatment building featuring Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration and additional water storage for emergency use. A new pumping station was also built to boost the overall efficiency of the facility.

Tzvetelina Bogoina, NI Water’s director of infrastructure delivery, said the investment will protect and future-proof local water infrastructure, helping to meet demand from customers, businesses and tourism. She noted the scheme was delivered on time and within budget.

The upgrade is also intended to address enforcement notices from the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Bernadette Corr, chief drinking water inspector at the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, said the improvements will strengthen regulatory compliance, enhance the wholesomeness of drinking water, and safeguard public health.

The works supplies water towards Portrush, Ballymoney, Limavady and Derry/Londonderry. During construction, new assets were commissioned and tested before being brought online, allowing the plant to remain fully operational so that no customers experienced interruptions to supply.

DLJ Water Limited served as the main contractor, with project management support from RPS Tetratech.