BY MICHAEL BRESLIN
The number of employees in the Water Service (NI Water) across Northern Ireland by April this year will be 1,400, a reduction of 319 on the present workforce.
A spokeswoman for NI Water said headquarters was currently working with staff in Enniskillen who are affected to offer them redeployment or voluntary release schemes: "As such, the exact number of redundancies at the various locations is not yet known at present."
Enniskillen will be losing out to Omagh as a regional 'hub', the Tyrone capital having been selected along with Belfast, Altnagelvin, Seagoe (Portadown) and Ballykeel as 'The Magnificent Five'.
Details of this and other developments within NI Water were given to a recent committee meeting of Fermanagh District Council by three senior representatives, along them William Duddy, the director of Customer Services.
He explained that the jobs' reduction was driven by new technology and the cost of a major upgrading of wastewater treatment plants across the North.
In Fermanagh, he said, NI Water had invested £19.4m in projects, either already under construction or programmed to begin by March 31st this year. He explained that some £16.2m worth of projects were already under way in the county of which a number, representing investment of £3,034,00 were substantially complete. Meanwhile, projects that were out to tender amounted to £115,00.
David Hilary (engineering procurement) told Councillors that the Enniskillen Wastewater Treatment Works was an extensive upgrade of the existing works so as to ensure compliance with discharge consent standards and to cater for further development in the area. He reported that the estimated cost of the scheme was £12m, with completion expected next month or the following month.
A similar scheme was well under way, the meeting was told, to upgrade the Derrylin Wastewater Treatment Works and, also, in the Derrygonnelly area, the construction of a 380,000 litre reservoir to serve the Meenacloybane/Churchill area.
Councillors were informed that a number of schemes were at the tender/design stage. They include phase two of a reservoir rehabilitation scheme to refurbish Doughrock Service Reservoir neat Ederney (£115,000); and an upgrade at Kesh of the existing Loaneden sewage pumping station, and the extension of the pumping main.
Turning to flooding and handling consumers in trouble, William Duddy informed the committee that a Northern Ireland Direct project, a single telephone point for all agencies, was due to be launched last month. He explained that it would be linked to the NI Water Customer Relations Centre. At the same time, he added, NI Water would be continuing inter-agency liaison to ensure a joined up response.
Denis Wilson, another member of the NI Water team, reported that a major review and re-assessment had been undertaken in the county to determine 'headroom' capacity. He agreed to forward statistics on individual sewerage works.
Mr Hilary, responding to a query about pricing given the current economic climate, said the Audit Office was satisfied with the pricing of all contracts.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the NI Water delegation agreed to report back on four issues that were troubling Councillors, namely - waste water treatment works' capacity at each plant, the code of practice for 'priority service', details of the outcome, and the company involved, of a composting trial using sludge and, finally, confirmation that asbestos cement main was to be replaced by Roads Service prior to surfacing completion.
The spokeswoman for Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) told the 'Herald' that Northern Ireland Water was required by Government to reduce its operating expenditure by 26.5 per cent by 2009/10.
"To meet this target, we have undertaken a major review of the business and its processes. All areas of this organisation are currently being transformed to achieve the target.
"As part of this process, the Enniskillen Depot has been identified as one of a number of locations due to close. It is important to note, however that closure of this and other depots will not commence before April 2009."
She went on: "The majority of staff will remain in the organisation and continue to live and work in their own areas. New technology will enable staff who use Mobile Work Management to start from home, complete their jobs which they will receive 'on the road', and return home after their last job. Staff will only need to visit the hub in Omagh periodically, and this will be coordinated with other work to avoid excessive travel."
She insisted that customers would benefit from this new working method as they will receive a quicker response to leakage or network issues.
But, she added: "There will be a reduction in roles as part of NI Water's wider efficiency programme. However, where possible reductions will be by voluntary means."
