The Cairn site opposite Laxey harbour is still central to our plans. It lies at the confluence of all the Laxey valley sewers. It is also the landward end of the sea outfall pipe. The earlier planning application for a works at this location was refused, so we will still need to use this site – for a buried pumping station, energy recovery system, UV equipment and a new large storm tank.

Some of the existing chalets have tested positive for asbestos, so will be demolished. The more robust log cabin style properties will be offered for sale for dismantling and removal from site when planning permission is obtained. The largest two –storey cabin will be initially used for site offices during construction work before being offered for sale for dismantling and removal.

The Cairn site remains a viable location for a treatment works.

Purchase of this site was, and continues to be, an essential part of the project. The Glen Garwick site in Baldrine is similarly at the confluence of the sewer pipes running through the village to a sea outfall. Once the necessary pumping station and associated facilities are installed in a corner of the meadow, the property will be returned to the market.

Should planning approval not be achieved for the Axnfell site then it may be necessary to revisit the option for a small sewage treatment works at Glen Garwick.

We went back to the beginning and reviewed over 50 potential sites in Laxey and Baldrine that had been previously identified in feasibility studies or had been proposed during a public call for sites. The pump away to Meary Veg option was also reviewed.

A 'coarse screening' process was completed against criteria such as space, land zoning, proximity to residential areas, ecology and other factors which led to the selection of a small number of options which were looked at in more detail in order to determine the preferred solution. A concept design (comprising site layout and pipeline routes) for each option was created and a desktop environmental review completed (including carbon footprint calculations) to allow a further 'fine screening' assessment to be undertaken, resulting in each option receiving a 'quality' score. Each was then costed with the 'whole life costs' developed over periods of 25 and 50 years. The cost and quality scores were then combined on a 70:30 quality:cost ratio (also undergoing a sensitivity check at 50:50) to ensure the best solution was chosen, not necessarily the cheapest.

This process resulted in the preferred site configuration being identified as main pumping stations at Laxey harbour and at Baldrine, with a single combined treatment works at an intermediate location between the two villages.

IRBC (Integrated Rotating Biological Contactor) equipment will be used at Garff, as it is elsewhere on the Island at 13 other locations. This is a tried and tested process used extensively in the UK and Ireland.

The process used at Meary Veg is slightly different - it is an aerated 'activated sludge' process. Some of the IRBC treatment works produce effluent of a significantly higher quality than that of Meary Veg.

Numerous studies have been completed that all conclude that the regional approach is both cheaper and more sustainable than connecting into the IRIS network.

The final construction programme is yet to be finalised. It is currently estimated that the whole works will take between 18 and 24 months to be constructed, although works at each site may take less time, particularly at the intermediate pump stations

Processing sewage can lead to the production of odour, and so we are taking steps with the provision of odour control equipment to minimise this risk. The preferred system sucks air from within the covered treatment works, passing it through specifically selected odour control media to absorb the chemicals that smell, releasing it back to the atmosphere via a chimney.

Some earlier sites did not include odour control facilities and these are now being introduced as a retrofit following public feedback. The IRBC system provides a covered plant which lends itself well to the provision of odour control.

There is no plant within the works that produces high levels of noise.  We have many IRBC sewage treatment works and pumping stations in very close proximity to residential properties elsewhere and do not receive complaints with regard to noise.

No, the sites will only operate movement activated (PIR Controlled) lighting necessary for out-of-hours emergency maintenance activities. PIR movement - activated external security lighting may also be provided for safety and the integrity of the facility.

No, given the nature of the works no pathogen containing aerosols will be produced.

It is envisaged that one tanker will visit the treatment works site each day, five days a week. There will also be regular visits from operational staff in small vans. Pumping stations will receive a maximum of one visit from a tanker per quarter.

Access to the site will be over the existing public highways which has been the subject of detailed discussions with DOI Highways to ensure it can be safely and effectively achieved.

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) are a necessity on the Isle of Man (as they are in the UK, Europe and around the world) due to the combined nature of our sewerage network. This results in large amounts of surface water entering the system which is designed to allow the discharge of dilute 'storm sewage' through CSOs when the infrastructure is overwhelmed to prevent the flooding of property during heavy rainfall. Whilst many schemes have been undertaken to remove surface water and infiltration from the sewer network, it is not financially viable to retrofit a fully separate system, and so these discharges are a key part of providing an economical and effective sewerage network.

The infrastructure proposed at Garff will include a combined storm overflow which will be constructed to modern day standards including 6mm screening to remove all solid particles and UV treatment during the bathing season.

Modelling predicts that the proposed works will provide 'Excellent' bathing water quality against the Isle of Man's Water Pollution (Bathing Water Standards and Objectives) Scheme 2021. It should be noted that sewage discharges are not the only discharges that impact on bathing water, with animal faeces, agricultural runoff into rivers all potentially having a detrimental impact on bathing waters.

Blue Flag Status requires some 40 factors to be addressed, of which bathing water quality is one. It requires 'Excellent' bathing water quality to be achieved which modelling indicates should be provided by the proposed works.

Axnfell is well above sea level and it is difficult to envisage a flood mechanism which would be activated by the operation of the proposed treatment works and so the DOI FRM team would not be able to advise. It is planned for the treatment works site drainage to discharge with the final effluent so as to make best use of the energy recovery turbine housed on the Cairn site at the head of the outfall pipe. There will be no detrimental impact to the community in terms of drainage from the proposed works.

The exact location of the works within the plantation was determined following guidance from DEFA’s Ecosystems Policy Officer who reviewed each potential site and concluded that the Northern most site had minimal impact on local ecology in comparison to the alternate sites.  As part of the Major Projects Planning Application, DEFA will be a primary consultee and therefore officers will be able provide feedback on our proposed design and environmental impact mitigations.  We took on board comments received during the November 2024 engagement event prior to submitting the planning application.

This idea was looked at carefully. Although recent water samples from Laxey have been rated as good or excellent, older records show that water quality often did not meet basic standards during the full bathing season from May to September.

Our studies also show that untreated sewage affects water quality. To make a screening-only option work, we would need to build much longer pipes out to sea in both Laxey and Baldrine. This would cost a lot of money and take a long time due to planning rules. Even then, it would still mean putting untreated sewage into the sea.

The Isle of Man does not have to follow European sewage treatment laws, but we aim to follow best practice. For a community the size of Laxey, proper treatment is recommended.

Tynwald approved forty point four five million pounds for sewage upgrades in Peel, Garff, and Meary Veg. Less than twenty million pounds of that is for Garff, and that amount has not changed.

Yes. Ultraviolet treatment is a proven method. Some people worry about cloudy water affecting the process, but that is mainly a concern for drinking water. For sewage, the ultraviolet dose is much stronger and works well even with dirty water.

Putting raw sewage into the sea is not natural and does not help marine life. A study we commissioned shows that untreated sewage harms water quality and the animals and plants that depend on it. Cleaning up the discharge will help protect the sea and support a healthier environment.

Garwick Glen is part of the Glen Garwick property estate. The current agreement with Treasury is that once construction works are complete, the estate will return to the market. Manx Utilities will feedback to Treasury and DEFA the desire of local residents for the glen to be returned to public ownership,

To improve parking, we plan to formalise the current ad-hoc arrangement by providing four parking bays on Clay Head Road. No additional parking facilities are proposed.

Construction traffic will be controlled under planning conditions. It is envisaged that the contractor will be required to submit traffic, dust and noise management plans to the Planning Department for approval and comply with these agreed conditions throughout the works.

Our investigations confirm that the IRBC treatment process will deliver “Excellent” bathing water quality, so extending the outfall is not necessary.

(Note: Guernsey’s 2015 scheme replaced life-expired outfalls, but flows there are only screened, not treated.)

Most of the pump station is below ground, but we need above-ground kiosks for safe access to control panels without entering confined spaces.

At The Cairn, we have designed a building to house:

• Control and safety equipment
• Energy recovery turbine
• Ultraviolet treatment equipment

This building will be faced with Manx stone to blend with the surroundings.

There are no current plans to increase rates to cover the cost of the Regional Sewage Treatment Strategy Phase 2. Details of the Manx Utilities Pricing Strategy can be found here. This strategy sets out how tariffs/rates will be set during the period 2025-2030.

The cheapest and lowest carbon option of a works down at the Cairn site did not receive planning approval, and faced considerable community opposition. What is proposed is a compromise of cost/carbon versus local impact. Pumping sewage is commonplace where treatment at the low point within a gravity network is not possible. Sewage from Douglas is pumped over a similar height to get to Meary Veg. The Axnfell site was the closest deliverable site between Laxey and Baldrine. Some of the power will be recovered by an energy recovery turbine on the outfall.