WWDL_Application – Portrane Donabate:
Section C1 – Operational Information Requirements
The Portrane Donabate agglomeration serves the towns of Portrane and Donabate and their immediate surrounds. There are four pumping stations in the agglomeration which transfer the sewage to a treatment works in the grounds of St Ita’s Hospital, Portrane.
The treatment works is designed for 6,000 p.e. The works originally consisted of an oxidation ditch, with a final settlement tank. The plant was expanded in 2005 with the provision of two modular clarifiers, additional aeration and a screen in Portrane No 2 pump station. Also in 2003 a centrifuge was added to dewater the final sludge. The final effluent is discharged via a measuring flume to a short outfall on the coast to the east of the plant.
There is no laboratory on site. Grab samples of the effluent and the mixed liquor are taken weekly and tested in the on-site laboratory at the Swords WWTP for process checking. Grab samples are taken approx four times a year to the Central Laboratory in Dublin City Council, which is an accredited laboratory, for testing for compliance with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations.
The WWTP is run by Fingal County Council with a staff of two. The plant is mechanised and is self governing in the short term. Normal hours are worked from Monday to Friday with a visit on Saturday and Sunday for a visual check. The plant is connected to the Council’s LOGICA telemetry system and can be interrogated from a distance. Alarms when generated are sent via the LOGICA system to mobile phone holders and are picked up by the local inspector or are monitored in For inspection purposes only. Leixlip Water Treatment WorksConsent whichof copyright has owner a required 24 hour for any potherresence. use. The relevant staff are then assigned to the plant.
The surplus sludge from the plant is dewatered on site. The cake is being sent to landfill at present, but will be composted and used for rehabilitating a tailing pond at the Galmoy Mine in Co. Tipperary in the near future.
There is provision in the plant for an overflow from the oxidation ditch to the final effluent outfall in the event of very heavy rain.
Attached are drawings of the treatment works and a process flow diagram of the works.
C.1.1 Storm Water Overflows
EPA Export 26-07-2013:01:58:53 The DoEHLG’s “Procedures and Criteria in Relation to Storm Water Overflows” sets out 4 assessment criteria for existing SWO’s. These are
1) causes significant visual or aesthetic impact and public complaints.
2) causes deterioration in water quality in the receiving water.
3) gives rise to failure in meeting the requirements of national regulations on foot of EU Directives.
4) operates in dry weather.
There are three overflows in the Portrane Donabate Agglomeration. The three overflows are associated with pumping stations and two are located at the pumping station. The third, Beaverstown Road, is located upstream of the pump station and comes into operation if the pumping station ceases operation or in the event of heavy rainfall. a) Beaverstown Road overflow which discharges to the sea via an unnamed stream:
1) One complaint received, Section 63 notice served by EPA.
2) Deterioration was noted in the receiving stream, however this was found to be due to misconnections.
3) Does not give rise to failure to meet national Regulations.
4) Does not operate in dry weather except as emergency overflow from the Donabate No. 1 Pumping Station. For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use.
From the above the Beaverstown Road overflow is operating correctly as a SWO.
b) Portrane No. 2 Pumping Station overflow which discharges to the Rogerstown Estuary via an unnamed stream:
1) No complaints received.
2) Generally occurs in times of very heavy rainfall so there is no noticeable deterioration in the quality of the receiving water
3) Does not give rise to failure to meet national Regulations.
4) Generally does not operate in dry weather.
From the above the Portrane No. 2 P.S. overflow is operating correctly as a SWO.
EPA Export 26-07-2013:01:58:53
c) St Ita’s Hospital Pumping Station overflow which discharges to the Irish Sea via the treatment works outfall.:
1) No complaints received.
2) Generally occurs in times of very heavy rainfall so there is no noticeable deterioration in the quality of the receiving water
3) Does not give rise to failure to meet national Regulations.
4) Generally does not operate in dry weather.
From the above the St Ita’s Hospital P.S. overflow is operating correctly as a SWO.
Donabate No. 1 P.S. and Portrane No. 2 P.S. will be upgraded as part of the new Portrane Donabate Rush & Lusk Waste Water Treatment Scheme. It is understood that 24 hour storage will be incorporated which will reduce the incidents of overflows. This is projected for completion by 2012.
C.1.2 Pumping Stations
Pumping Station No of No of Storage Capacity Name duty pumps standby /Volume 3 For inspection purposes pumps only. (m )/hrs Consent of copyright owner required for any other use.
Donabate No. 1 1 1(Assist) Unknown
Portrane No. 2 1 1(Assist) Unknown
St Ita’s Hospital 1 1 Unknown
The Burrow 1 1 Unknown
The pumping stations are on telemetry which has an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) with battery pack in the event of a power failure. In the event of a power failure, the telemetry (LOGICA) system alarms out. The alarms are picked up by the local inspector or are monitored in Leixlip Water Treatment Works which has a 24 hour presence. Staff are then assigned to the relevant pumping station.
EPA Export 26-07-2013:01:58:53
Details on the pump sumps are not available. A programme of surveying the sumps as they are cleaned is in place and ongoing.
There are no flowmeters on the overflows on the pumping stations so the quantity of the overflows cannot be estimated. The area inspector has estimated the number of overflows, as shown on Table D.1(iii)(a). The location where such discharges enter the receiving waters is shown on Table D.1(iii)(a).
For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use.
EPA Export 26-07-2013:01:58:53