NI Water has recently announced that there is insufficient funding available to proceed with several essential infrastructure projects, particularly concerning wastewater and drainage development. This financial shortfall will result in an escalation of constraints on necessary projects. One of the major repercussions includes the postponement of the Living With Water Plan (LWWP) for Belfast, a significant £1.9bn initiative. As a consequence, critical upgrades to sewage works in Sydenham, Whitehouse, and Kinnegar are now on hold, along with planned developments in Glenmachan, Greenisland, Carrickfergus, and on the sea outfalls.
The company has laid out plans to initiate a maintenance program this coming spring to maximize the efficiency of existing facilities. Last year, former Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd highlighted that a projected 50% cost hike made the initial plan unfeasible. The original objectives of the LWWP, outlined in 2015, aimed to safeguard against flooding, improve the environment, and create capacity for further developments like housing construction. A significant concern for developers has been the lack of wastewater infrastructure hindering economic progress in Belfast.
In late 2024, the Department for Infrastructure conducted a review of the LWWP and concluded that the original 12-year timeframe was no longer viable. This prompted a need for a more flexible approach to project delivery, with individual partners like NI Water taking on projects within achievable budgetary constraints. The company stated that the necessary sustained investment for major infrastructure upgrades is currently unavailable, leading to an indefinite pause on the projects. Belfast City Councillor Anthony Flynn emphasized the lack of surprise regarding the announcement, attributing it to long-standing governmental inaction on wastewater infrastructure issues.
Flynn criticized the political inaction, emphasizing that over 20 million tonnes of untreated sewage are entering Northern Ireland’s waters, deviating from environmental standards. This inaction has also caused delays in housing construction, exacerbating an already extensive housing waiting list. Alliance assembly member Peter McReynolds highlighted the challenge of delivering such projects due to escalating costs, underscoring the need for strategic long-term investments and planning to address these critical infrastructure issues
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