To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether there are any plans to address the capacity of the Armoy Bush Wastewater Treatment Works.

The upgrade of the Armoy Bush Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) is not included in NI Water’s Price Control 21 Investment Programme (2021/22 - 2027/28). However, during 2026 and 2027, NI Water will be undertaking enhanced base maintenance (£538k) to ensure the continued efficient operation of the works and compliance with the Water Order Discharge Consent issued by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).

During the early stages of Price Control 21, NI Water explored innovative techniques to deliver limited additional capacity at the Armoy Bush WwTW. However, further investigation revealed that this would require a new Water Order Discharge Consent from NIEA, which in turn would necessitate a full upgrade of the works. This option was not feasible at this time.

NI Water is developing its business plan for the Price Control 28 period (2028/29 - 2032/33) and the upgrade of the Armoy Bush WwTW (c. £2 - £3m) is being considered through this prioritisation process. Once this has been finalised with the Utility Regulator, the proposed schemes will be confirmed. The delivery of all projects planned for Price Control 28 will be subject to funding availability and completion of any statutory approvals that may be required.