WaterNI 2018

Planning to Meet Belfast’s Drainage and Wastewater

Management Needs: Challenges and Progress

Paddy Brow - NI Water Head of LWWP

Enhance GrowProtectV3 20 Feb 2018

Enhance GrowProtect

Contents

1) Introduction

2) Progress on NI Water’s work packages

3) Planning for Implementation Delivery

4) Recognition & Support

5) Conclusions

Aim: to develop a Strategic Drainage Infrastructure Plan (SDIP) for Belfast to

protect against flood risk, enhance the environment and provide the increased

drainage and wastewater treatment capacity necessary to enable the economy to

grow

Approach: In accordance with ‘Sustainable Water’, the NI Executive’s Long Term

Water Strategy, it is following a catchment based integrated planning approach.

This is focused on developing shared sustainable solutions that will provide a wide

range of benefits, at reduced cost and disruption

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Creation approved by the NI Executive in 2014, commenced 2015

Belfast Drainage & Sewerage Issues: Problem

Definition

Wall?

Snake?

Tree?

Rope?

Fan?

Developed from a slide used by Alan Elwood, Risk and Reward Ltd

Rotten Egg?Spear?

Belfast Drainage & Sewerage Issues: Problem

Definition

Inadequate Capacity (Sewers, WWPS, WWTW)

Surface Water Flooding

Unsatisfactory Intermittent Discharges

Asset Deterioration

Fluvial (River) Flooding

Out of Sewer Flooding

OdourInadequate Dilution &

Dispersion of Effluent

Siltation of Sewers and Outfalls

Infiltration

FOG

Higher Water Quality

Standards

Constrained Opex

DfI Minister

Programme ManagerStuart Wightman

DfI Permanent Sec.Peter May

LWWP SROFiona McCandless

NI Executive

15 Work Packages (DfI WDPD, DfI Rivers & Roads, NI Water, NIEA, BCC)

DfI W&DP DirectorLinda MacHugh

LWWP Board

LWWP

Governance

Rivers Roads

Water & Drainage Policy Division

Living With Water Programme

Work Packages

WP Title Lead Org.

1 Belfast Capital Works Programmes, Appraisals, Resources: Gap Analysis &

Integration

DfI WDPD

2 Private Drainage Infrastructure DfI Rivers

3 NI Storm Separation Pilot Projects NI Water

4 Belfast Environmental Drivers NIEA

5 Catchment Modelling NI Water

6 Drainage Area Planning NI Water

7 Inner Belfast Lough WWTW Appraisals NI Water

8 Belfast Roads and Streets Drainage Investment TransportNI

9 Belfast Watercourses Investment DfI Rivers

10 Belfast Lough Diffused Pollution Assessment and Reduction NIEA

11 Belfast Strategic Drainage Infrastructure Plan (Belfast SDIP) DfI WDPD

12 Belfast SDIP Financing DfI WDPD

13 Stakeholder Engagement DfI WDPD

14 Belfast Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) & Habitats Risk Assessment

(HRA)

DfI WDPD

15 NI Integrated Drainage Investment Planning Guide & Programme DfI WDPD

Work Package 5 Catchment Modelling - Importance & Scope

Important as will inform optimum:

1) WWTW Discharge Standard

2) Storm Tank Sizing

3) Outfall Design

4) Other diffused pollution reduction measures+ Provide information for Marine Licence applications

WP5 Steering Group - Role

1) Develop strategy for catchment modelling and it’s procurement

2) Oversee procurement and management of the modelling

3) Oversee that contributing work packages are aligned and managed

WP5 Steering Group (since Sept 2015)

LWWP WP5 Catchment (Ecosystem) Modelling: Key Stages for Nutrient &

Bacteria Reduction Solution Development

Qu

alit

y p

er a

nn

um

Stage 1Determine the Overall

Quality & Carry out Source Apportionment

Stage 2Determine Quantum

Compatible with WFD Good Status

Stage 3 Determine Responsibility Aligned to Source

Apportionment (WFD Polluter Pays Principle) & Optimum Measures to Reduce

In proportion to Stage 1 findings:1) NI Water improvements

to sewers & WWTW2) Agricultural measures3) Reductions from other

sources (eg privately owned WWTW)

To Be Removed

May Remain

NI Water

Agricultural

Other

Greenisland(PE c13,000)

WP7 Inner Belfast Lough WWTW Appraisal Studies

Whitehouse(PE c90,000)

Belfast(PE c500,000)

Kinnegar(PE c85,000)

Carrickfergus(PE c33,000)

Seahill(PE c7,000)

Appraisal WWTWs Included

A Belfast, Whitehouse, Kinnegar

B Carrickfergus & Greenisland

C Seahill (for Bathing Waters)Transfer part of catchment?

Transfer part of catchment?

Designated Bathing Waters:• Helens Bay• Crawfordsburn• Ballyholme

B4

Work Package 7: Belfast WWTW Capacity Challenge

(Informed to Belfast City Council)

WWTW Loading

(Population Equivalent)

Time

Design Capacity

Chemically Enhanced Capacity

290,000

?

Projected increase in loadings

Today 2021Currently projected date

WWTW may move into non-compliance

‘Beneficial Use’ date of upgraded WWTW

(Feb 2027)

Period during which contingency measures required

Current

Currently 20 to 30% of the catchment load is not reaching the WWTW

Belfast WWTW Compliance

Phase 0: Maintain Compliance Until Phase 1 Complete

(Detailed Risk Mitigation Plan

Developed, Being Implemented)

Capital Investment Phase 1: Maintain Compliance with Existing UWWTD

Consent(start April 2021)

Capital Investment Phase 2: Comply with future WFD

Based Needs Consent incl. Storm Tanks

(to end Feb 2027)

This will allow sewerage network improvements to proceed without pushing WWTW into non-compliance

WP7 Belfast WWTW Appraisal: Nereda

WWTW Process Pilot during 2018

Key AimsTo inform the LWWP WP7 Belfast WWTW Appraisal by proving that Nereda provides a viable small footprint option for expansion of Belfast within existing NI Water lands, testing performance against key local factors such as:• Nature of catchment sewage and first flush

events• FOG• Sludge dewatering centrifuge centrate• Imported trade effluent

Arriving March 2018

Belfast WWTW

Constrained space available for increased capacity

Nereda has the potential to:• Double biological capacity by construction of the main Nereda process tanks on Bretland area – facilitating

compliance with existing standard during construction by keeping all current lanes operational • Achieve the future more stringent standards• Allow existing final settlement tanks to be converted to storm tanks• Allows area occupied by aeration lanes to be used for odour control or tertiary treatment (if necessary)

At this stage Nereda it looks to be the most cost effective whole life cost solution. The design build contract will allow a number of processes and invite innovation.

WP6 Drainage Area Planning – Resolving the ‘Busted Flush’

1) 2014 Belfast WWTW Glenmachan Sub-catchment Drainage Area Plan (DAP) recommended to

address out of sewer flooding and pollution would require:

• Additional storm tank 8 Olympic sized swimming pools, plus all Upper Falls WWTW tanks to

become storm tanks.

• Belfast WWTW treatment capacity increase by 280 l/s

2) Glenmachan represents 15% of total Belfast catchment. If approach applied across whole

catchment it would require:

• 53 Olympic sized swimming pools

• Treatment capacity increase 2 cubic metre per second

3) If all Belfast WWTW Final Settlement Tanks converted to storm tanks 26 Olympic sized swimming

pools

4) This illustrates that the LWWP must drive down any increase in FFT & storm storage through

storm separation and modelling.

‘Busted Flush’ – Key Problems

1) Very high capital costs

2) Inadequate space to build

3) Inadequate treatment capacity

4) Unsustainable operational costs

How Can We Avoid ‘Busted Flush’ Solutions?

a) Increased rates of stormwater separation – attenuate stormwater on the surface,

increase the capacity of watercourses

b) Reduce infiltration into foul and combined sewers

c) Design storm tanks to treat spills

d) Modelling to increased frequency of permitted spills

e) Convey storm overflow discharges to less sensitive watercourses / treatment wetlands

= WP11 Integrated Drainage Planning

(Led by DfI, includes DfI Roads & Rivers, NI Water, NIEA, Belfast City Council)

Inner Lough WWTWs Phase 1 (UWWTD Compliance – to start April 2021)

Belfast WWTW

Inner Lough WWTWs Phase 2(WFD needs - commission by Feb 2027)A: Belfast, Kinnegar & WhitehouseB: Carrickfergus & GreenislandC: Seahill

Capital Delivery

Business Justification

OBC

FBC

Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme (complete by 2022)

LWWPStrategic Outline

Case(2017)

2021 to 2027 WFD RBMP catchment measures to reduce diffuse pollution

OBC FBC

Surveys, Modelling, Planning, Appraisal, Business Cases

Integrated Drainage Improvements (2019-2027)

The Ten Year Programme

Private Drainage Infra Surveys

Catchment Modelling

DfI led Integrated Drainage Investment Planning

WWTW Appraisals

Belfast SDI Plan Development

Year

Exp

en

dit

ure

Per

An

nu

m (

£m

)

Indicative High Level Spend Profile (£886m)

0

50

100

150

200

250

17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26 26/27

Defining the Shape of the Igloo - Development of the

PC21 Business Plan & LWWP Belfast Strategic

Drainage Infrastructure Plan are Inter-Dependant

PC15 Business Plan PC21 Business Plan

LWWP

Q2: Which Belfast SDIP

elements will be funded

through PC21 BP?

Time

£

Capital

Q1: Belfast SDIP

Expenditure Profile?

PJ Brow V1 19/10/17

Building Ireland's FutureNational Development Plan 2018-2027

(Launched 16 Feb 2018)

Includes €8.5bn* to be invested by Irish Water

Comparative Analysis

Population of RoI = 4.76m Population of NI = 1.85m (Ratio = 2.6:1)

€8.5bn = £7.52bn = £752m per annum = £158m per annum / million population.

For the NI Population the would equate to £293m (excl. surface water sewers*)

Large Irish Water Projects

• Dublin Wastewater (Greater Dublin Drainage, Ringsend WWTW, North Docklands Sewerage) = €708m

• Eastern and Midlands Water Supply Project = €1.2 to 1.3bn

*€8.5bn excludes investment that may be necessary by RoI Councils on surface water sewers (for which Irish Water is not responsible).

LWWP

Belfast Strategic Drainage

Infrastructure Plan

Belfast Agenda

Local Development

Plan

Economic Growth

Smart Cities

City Deal

Reservoirs & DamsAmenity

Provision

Community Greenways

Blue Green Infrastructure

Resilient Cities

Social Cohesion

Tourism & Recreation

Recognition: Resilient Drainage & Wastewater Infrastructure

Necessary to Achieve Belfast City Council Aims

Purpose: Strategic level guide to inform investment decisions & development contributions

Aims: Facilitate development of multi-functional network to provide a multitude of recreational, environmental ecological, socio-cultural and economic benefits for Belfast

Considers: Natural Heritage & Biodiversity, Water (Drainage), Open Space, Hills & Coast, Ecosystem Services

Green & Blue Infrastructure Masterplan (2018)

Local Development Plan

Green & BlueInfra Masterplan

Detailed Strategies (Open Spaces & later others:

SuDs, Greenways, Bio-diversity)

21st Century Drainage Programme

21st Century Drainage ProgrammeDrainage & Wastewater Management Plan Framework

Launch London Sept 2018, Implementation April 2020 across UK

Belfast Strategic Drainage Infrastructure Plan

The Journey

Developed from a slide used by Alan Elwood, Risk and Reward Ltd

Starting Out

Reality

Obstacles to Overcome

New Tools to Build

New Skills to Learn

Commitment & Resilience as Longer & Steeper

1) We are making good progress on plan for Belfast to protect against flooding,

enhance the environment, and enable the economy to grow.

2) Resilient Drainage & Wastewater Infrastructure Necessary to Achieve Belfast City

Council, NIEA & DfI Aims – Aligned to Programme for Government Outcomes

3) Progress enabled by the ongoing support of Participants and Stakeholders.

4) Aim is to complete a final Strategic Drainage Infrastructure Plan in June 2019,

with implementation from 2021 (subject to funding).

Conclusions

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