Water & Wastewater Treatment

www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | ocTober 2014 | 23 The project includes six major crossings, including this one of the Lagan canal at Aghalee Project focus: Pipes and pipelines rent development focus includes the upgrading of water treatment works and pipelines across Northern Ireland, as well as a £14m investment in the laying of a new 29km pipeline which will link the company's Castor Bay Water Treatment Works in Craigavon to south Lisburn. From there, a con- nection will be made into the existing trunk main which transports water into Belfast, by far Northern Ireland's largest city with a population of close to 300,000. NI Water duly describes the Castor Bay to Lisburn scheme as an "essen- tial" development which is needed to improve the security of the water sup- ply infrastructure for its customers. "The new pipeline will provide a vital new source of water coming into Belfast," says project manager, Martin Gillen. "It will be particularly impor- tant over the winter months and for dealing with emergency situations to supplement increased demand when- ever the infrastructure is particularly vulnerable." Launched in early spring this year, the project is due for completion next summer. While pipeline construction and maintenance is a relatively stand- ard and well-understood part of NI Water's project remit, the challenge of taking this particular pipeline under both Northern Ireland's M1 motorway and the main Belfast to Dublin railway adds to the complexity of the work. "We will be undertaking six major crossings during the project," Gillen explains. "In addition to the motor- way and railway crossings we will be taking the pipeline across the Lagan canal, the Ravarnet River in south Lisburn, the A1 road at Sprucefield and the River Lagan." Trenchless crossing techniques such as auger boring, pipe jacking and micro tunnelling (ranging from 50m – 150m in length) are being used to reduce the project's environmental impact. Scheduling of the physical work involved, meanwhile, is timed to minimise disruption to both com- muters and local residents. This will require night-time working wherever that is feasible. "As the majority of the pipelaying is through public roads, potential im- pact on the public is of concern," says Gillen. "This part of the development is therefore being managed through our dedicated lands liaison/customer care team. Their job will be to deal with any land issues which arise, maintaining effective communication with all stakeholders and household- ers who are affected by the project. • Innovations ● Trenchless crossing techniques are being used take the pipeline under Northern Ireland's M1 motorway and the A1 road at Spucefield, the mainline rain link between Belfast and Dublin, the rivers Ravarnet and Lagan and the Lagan canal. A combination of auger boring, pipe jacking and micro tunneling, ranging in length from 50m – 150m, is being used in these crossings to keep disruption to a minimum. The overall construction is considered to be a relatively standard and well-understood project development by NI Water whose total pipeline network already extends to 26,700km. ● To address the carbon footprint demands of the necessary work to be carried out during the project period, a pipe storage location was agreed with the Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation. This provides the contractors with easy access to the pipes from a convenient point, close to Lisburn and Craigavon, a factor which project leaders say will keep truck movements to a minimum. Northern Ireland Water's Sara Venning inspects the pipes along with regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy

• Cover