THE public are invited to find out more about the Water and Sewerage Authority’s plans for a new sludge treatment works at Meary Veg, in Santon.
The authority has refused to reveal in advance details of the plans that will be on display at the event, taking place on Wednesday (August 8), 2.30pm-7.30pm, at Meary Veg.
It intends to apply to government planners for approval for a new sludge import, storage and thickening facility.
It is part of the regional sewerage treatment strategy, which will see regional sewage treatment and sludge disposal plants around the island.
Tynwald approved spending of £39,984,000 to cover the cost of the first phase of the project in April 2011.
According to the Water and Sewerage Authority, Meary Veg is close to capacity and would not be capable of treating the extra sludge produced from the proposed new works.
Last month, plans were submitted for a sewage treatment plant, serving a population of about 1,700, in Balleira Road, Kirk Michael. Subject to planning approval, work is expected to be completed in September 2013.
Work started on a similar plant in Corony last month, and is due to start this month in Glen Mona.
Plants have also been commissioned at Dalby and Bride and are planned for Glen Maye, Maughold village/Booilushag and Port Lewaigue.
Maughold commissioners’ clerk Martin Royle said the commissioners were ‘very supportive’ of the authority’s plans. He said the commissioners were particularly keen to get the works at Port Lewaigue and Port Mooar progressed so emissions no longer go into the sea, which would clean up Maughold’s coastline.
New regional works will be sited in Jurby and Kirk Michael and there will also be a sewage treatment works for Ramsey, which includes transfer of sewage from the Ramsey network.
The works will increase the percentage of the population’s sewage treated in modern works to 85 per cent and mean raw sewage will no longer be discharged to sea at Ramsey and Andreas.
The works are designed to meet European Directive environmental standards.
Raw sewage will continue to be pumped out to sea in some parts of the island as proposals for sewage treatment facilities for Peel, Laxey and Baldrine, Sulby and Ballaugh and the villages along the central valley will be included in the second five-year phase, running from 2016 to 2021.
A review in 2014 will consider whether Peel should get its own plant or have its sewage pumped to Meary Veg.
Tynwald voted in October 2007 to abandon plans for an all-island IRIS network in favour of a series of regional sewage plants.