€29m Lough Mask upgrade to boost water for 42,000 customers

More than 42,000 Uisce Éireann customers across Mayo, Roscommon and Galway are set to benefit from a €29 million upgrade of one of the region’s largest water treatment plants.

Work has begun on a major overhaul of the Lough Mask Water Treatment Plant at Tourmakeady, which will improve the security and quality of water supply and increase the plant’s capacity to cater for the equivalent of an additional 20,000 homes.

Many of the areas served by the plant could be seen across the lake on Friday afternoon, when Ministers James Browne and Dara Calleary joined local representatives, Uisce Éireann staff and the project team at a sod-turning ceremony to mark the start of the works.

Uisce Éireann programme manager Ian Walsh said the upgrade would modernise treatment processes at the facility and increase daily capacity from 40 million litres to 50 million litres. “As this region continues to grow and develop, so too must our water infrastructure,” he said. “Demand is increasing and the standards we must meet are ever higher. This project is about ensuring a safe, sustainable and resilient supply for the future.”

The Lough Mask plant currently produces about 40 million litres of drinking water each day, serving Castlebar, parts of Westport, towns and villages from Cong to Ballyhaunis and numerous group water schemes. Uisce Éireann says this supply has been a critical enabler of growth for homes, businesses and tourism.

For plant staff, Friday’s event was a proud milestone. Paul Thomas, Michael Conway, Michéal Lally and PJ Sheridan each have long associations with the facility. Mr Lally is following in the footsteps of his father Frank, who was the plant’s first caretaker and retired in 2022 after nearly 38 years of service.

Minister Browne described investment in water and wastewater services as essential to tackling the housing crisis. “Strategic infrastructure investment like water is essential in addressing and responding to our housing crisis. We need it to build homes at pace and at scale, and that’s what I am determined to see here in Mayo as well as across the country,” he said.

Minister Calleary said the project underlined the Government’s commitment to resilient communities. “Investing in our water infrastructure is crucial for the health, prosperity and sustainability of our communities,” he said.

Veolia Water is carrying out the works on behalf of Uisce Éireann, with completion due in 2028.