Concrete milestone reached in construction of new pumping station at Brompton Road

06/10/2020

NI Water and our contractor BSG Civil Engineering have reached a significant milestone in the construction of the new wastewater pumping station (WwPS) at Brompton Road with the completion of the first major concrete pour at the site.

33 lorries visited the coastal site on Friday 4th September, pouring over 230m3   of concrete in one day to form the first section of the new underground storage tank.

Catherine Watkins, NI Water’s Project Manager said:

“The successful completion of this major concrete pour – which involved a total of 66 vehicle movements in to and out of the site – and the formation of our first section of tank represent a significant step forward in the advancement of this challenging contract.

“Construction of the new tank at Brompton is being carried out in cycles with periods of excavation works followed by concrete pours until the full 10m deep tank has been constructed.

 “A concrete ‘collar’ is poured against the rock face to ensure the structure cannot drop into the excavation during this time – a bit like a cork in a bottle. When the concrete walls are complete, rock is excavated below, and the collar guides the tank to its final position below ground level.

“When complete, the tank will be totally buried and the area will be reinstated and sown largely in grass. The only visible structure at the Brompton Road site will be the control building for the pumping station, which has been designed to resemble an old boat house with natural stone cladding to blend in with the natural environment.”

The work at Brompton Road WwPS is part of a £4m investment by NI Water to upgrade the sewerage infrastructure in this part of Bangor. The project, which also includes the upgrade of Stricklands Glen WwPS will reduce the risk of out-of-sewer flooding and environmental pollution during periods of heavy rainfall and will further help improve bathing water quality along the North Down coast.