Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy
(Galway Metropolitan Area, Athenry, and Moycullen)
The economic success of the Galway Metropolitan Area and surrounding areas under the National Spatial Strategy has led to very significant growth in these areas. As a result, the wastewater infrastructure is challenged to keep pace with this growth and the increased demand for new serviced land for housing, commercial development, and industry.
Uisce Éireann has commenced an 8-week public consultation on the draft Galway Wastewater Strategy and associated environmental reports, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS). To make a submission please send it to Uisce Éireann by email, feedback form, or post by 23rd July 2026.
The Strategy
The draft Galway Wastewater Strategy aims to deliver a sustainable drainage strategy that will protect public health, safeguard our environment, and facilitate growth to 2080.
The draft strategy identifies preferred solutions to improve treatment capacity and network performance, with investments prioritised across three planning horizons: short-term (2040), medium-term (2055), and long-term (2080).
The Study Area
The Galway Wastewater Strategy (GWS) study area comprises the Galway Metropolitan Area (GMA), Athenry, and Moycullen. The study area includes Galway city and its suburbs, including six towns and villages. There are four Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in the study area including Athenry, Moycullen, Claregalway and Mutton Island, the largest WWTP in the region. Uisce Éireann’s wastewater system in the region includes wastewater collection networks that comprise of more than 50 pumping stations and 29 stormwater overflows, the majority of which are located within Galway City.
The Need for the Study
The Greater Galway Area faces several challenges in relation to wastewater collection and treatment, including:
- Population growth and economic development
- Regulatory compliance
- Aging infrastructure
- Environmental protection - pressures on the receiving waters from wastewater discharges
- Climate change resilience
The Benefits of the Study
What are we consulting on now?
To meet the challenges faced in the Galway Metropolitan Area. Moycullen, and Athenry, the draft Strategy proposes:
- A new Regional Galway East Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is progressed to meet the long-term wastewater treatment needs of the study area and to provide sufficient capacity, resilience and environmental protection up to 2080
- Enhancements to treatment capacity at Mutton Island and Athenry Wastewater Treatment Plants in the short term to meet population demands. Works on these plants is planned within the 2040 investment cycle
- Once the new Regional Galway East plant is commissioned, there will be a gradual transfer of loads from Mutton Island and Athenry to reduce loading pressures on the existing plants and manage long term regulatory risk. Mutton Island plant will continue to operate at a reduced capacity and Athenry plant will become a pumping station to transfer load to the new Regional Galway East plant, and
- Decentralised treatment at Moycullen and Claregalway Wastewater Treatment Plants will be maintained with any future upgrades informed by population and economic growth projections.
The development of the Regional Galway East WWTP will:
- Enable the diversion of wastewater load from the eastern part of Galway City away from the existing Mutton Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, thereby relieving pressure on existing infrastructure, improving system resilience, and supporting future growth in a sustainable manner, and
- Facilitate the decommissioning of the existing Athenry Wastewater Treatment Plant, with wastewater flows from Athenry to be pumped to the new Regional Galway East WWTP, providing a more sustainable, efficient and resilient regional wastewater solution.
To support delivery of the recommended Regional Galway East WWTP, two discharge outfall options are identified for further assessment and consideration.
- Option 1: A discharge outfall located in the eastern part of Galway Bay, approximately 3.5 kilometres from the shore.
- Option 2: A discharge outfall located in the western part of Galway Bay, approximately 1 kilometre from shore.
Progression of these options to the next stage will enable more detailed assessment, including environmental, technical and deliverability considerations, to inform the identification of a preferred solution.
These options represent the most viable and robust strategic solutions identified through the Strategy’s optioneering and assessment process. Both options can meet the Strategy’s objectives, achieving long-term regulatory compliance, protecting the receiving environment, and providing a resilient wastewater service over the 54-year planning horizon.
Links
- Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy Information Leaflet
- Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy Non-Technical Summary
- Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy
- Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy
- Appendix 1 – Managing Growth
- Appendix 2 - Our Approach to Modelling and Climate Change
- Appendix 3 – Status and Performance of the Wastewater System
- Appendix 4 – Impact on Water Quality
- Appendix 5 – Our Approach to Optioneering & Feasible Option Development
- Public Consultation 1 Responses
- Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy Natura Impact Statement
- Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report
How to make a submission
Public consultation will be undertaken for eight weeks from 28th May to 23rd July 2026.
Online: consult.water.ie
Email: gws@water.ie
Post: Uisce Éireann, Galway Wastewater Strategy, 1 Galway Business Park, Upper Newcastle Road, Dangan, Galway H91 A3EF
All stakeholder feedback on the Draft Galway Wastewater Strategy Report, the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) – Environmental Report, and the Appropriate Assessment (Natura Impact Statement) Report will be reviewed and considered as we prepare a final version of these reports.
Consultation Questions
In order to assist stakeholders in making a submission as part of this consultation, Uisce Éireann invites feedback on the following questions; however, feedback is not limited to these questions:
The draft Galway Wastewater Strategy identifies the development of a new Regional Galway East Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), with two associated discharge outfall options, as the recommended strategic approach. Do you have any comments on this recommended approach or on the assessment process used to identify these options?
Sections 5 and 10 of the draft Galway Wastewater Strategy set out the methodology used to assess current wastewater infrastructure, identify future needs, and develop and evaluate strategic wastewater options for the study area. Do you have any comments on this methodology?
Are there any additional issues, information or local knowledge that you consider should be taken into account in the development of the Galway Wastewater Strategy?
Section 12 of the draft Galway Wastewater Strategy outlines the proposed approach to implementing the Strategy. Do you have any comments on the proposed implementation and delivery of the Strategy?
Do you have any comments on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Environmental Report and the Natura Impact Statement (NIS) that accompany the draft Galway Wastewater Strategy?
Do you have any further comments on the draft Galway Wastewater Strategy?
All stakeholder feedback will be reviewed and considered as we finalise the Galway Wastewater Strategy. Each submission will be acknowledged, collated into a consultation 2 report, and responded to in the final Galway Wastewater Strategy. Submissions from individuals will be reported anonymously and feedback from organisations will be attributed to them.
Consultation 1
In our first public consultation for the Galway Wastewater Strategy, we sought input on the Issues Paper, Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report, and Appropriate Assessment Screening Report. The consultation ran from 26 September to 20 November 2024. Following the conclusion of consultation 1, Uisce Éireann reviewed and considered feedback in the draft Galway Wastewater Strategy presented for public consultation 2.
Next steps
Following the conclusion of Consultation 2, Uisce Éireann will review and consider feedback received from stakeholders. In Autumn 2026, the Galway Wastewater Strategy will be published.
