Project Omega

Northern Ireland Water and Glen Water -Project Omega

Screening Solutions for Northern Ireland

Longwood Engineering manages supply and successful installation fine screening and screenings handling capability for Project Omega in Northern Ireland.

Project Omega is a Public Private Partnership project between Northern Ireland Water and Glen Water (a joint venture company incorporating Veolia Water and Laing O'Rourke) for capital works and the operation of seven wastewater treatment facilities, across 6 sites in Northern Ireland. The majority of the project involved improvements to existing facilities with the exception of the North Down/Ards Peninsula in County Down, where a brand new treatment works and associated feeder pumping stations were needed to provide treatment for sewage from Bangor, Donaghadee and Millisle.

The £1 million contract for the screens and screenings handling element of the project was awarded in two parts by Laing O'Rourke to Longwood Engineering. Phase 1, awarded in June 06, formed part of the advance works, prior to the finalisation of the PPP contract, which required the completion of the brand new treatment works in North Down/ Ards by January 08. Longwood Engineering's brief was to manage the supply and installation of 2 new escalator screens.

Phase 2 was awarded in June 07 and for this part of the project Longwood Engineering was responsible for both the screens and screenings handling across the remaining sites - Seagoe, Bullays Hill, Ballyrickard, Ballynacor and Armagh. The work involved a combination of retro-fit and new channels. A total of twelve, 6mm (2D)Escalator screens and ten Combi-Wash units, along with Local Control Panels, were successfully installed across the five sites, meeting all required criteria and deadlines.

During this project Longwood Engineering achieved two notable milestones in their company's history. They completed their 1000th Escalator screen installation, which wasfirst launched in 1993 and, at the other end of the scale, they completed the installation of its very first Stormguard into Northern Ireland, which came about due to an improved delivery over another company. Longwood Engineering stepped in at the last minute and met the deadline!

Says Jim Conlon, General Manager, Glen Water: "This entire project presented many challenges -  stringent deadlines, costing constraints, the need to cause minimal disruption to local communities, in the case of North Down/Ards, the requirement for all plant facilities to be inside buildings and, of course, our total commitment to supplying the most effective environmental management system. These challenges were successfully met through close collaboration between all parties involved as well as ensuring we had the very best skills and expertise available throughout every stage of the project. Longwood Engineering has played a significant part in the success of the project."

Photo Caption: Escalator Screens at North Down Courtesy of Glen Water Ltd