ANALYSIS: WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE
NI BUILDER TALKS TO THE LOCAL CONSTRUCTION FIRMS FACING DELAYED OR CANCELLED PROJECTS FROM A LACK OF INVESTMENT IN NORTHERN IRELAND’S WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE…
Northern Ireland’s construction sector is calling for urgent political leadership and long-term thinking to address the economic impact of wastewater infrastructure limitations. Projects have received planning approval and funding, yet are unable to proceed due to capacity constraints, according to local firms, backing the findings of a new report. Wastewater Constraints and the Cost of Delay in Northern Ireland: An Economy with the Brakes On, published by the Wastewater Infrastructure Group (WIG) on July 1, suggests NI’s economy will take a £10.9bn hit in GVA by 2040 if current wastewater constraints continue. Aidan Flynn, Managing Director of FLYNN, says, “Northern Ireland’s wastewater infrastructure crisis is no longer a technical problem. It is a political leadership problem. “As a local construction contractor, we are increasingly seeing projects delayed, phased or made commercially unviable because wastewater infrastructure cannot support development. We have sites, resource, funding, planning permission and a willingness to invest, yet projects
cannot proceed because the capacity simply isn’t there. The result is delayed investment, reduced confidence and missed opportunities for jobs, housing and economic growth. “The numbers tell their own story. In 2005, NI started 15,331 new homes. In 2025, that figure had fallen to just 6,624. Meanwhile, around 55,000 homes are estimated to be impacted by wastewater constraints. “The WIG report clearly identifies both the problem and the solutions. What is missing is leadership and the political will to act. Until that changes, Northern Ireland will continue to constrain housing delivery, deter investment and hold back economic growth.” Gerard Graham Consulting Principal Gerard Graham, a past chair of CIOB NI, also welcomed the report. “It is difficult to get traction on such an issue as it is not an ‘attractive’ topic and there is no visual benefit that can be presented to people,” he says. “Coupled with that, the decision to invest in wastewater infrastructure requires long-term thinking
which generally is contrary to how local politicians prioritise matters due to the nature of the voting cycles. “The built environment is central to how society functions. Schools, hospitals and homes completely depend on wastewater infrastructure. I view it as a kind of silent thread that knits them all together and, without it, they will not work. “Ultimately, in the best interests of the people of NI, investment in wastewater infrastructure needs to be recognised as a new priority and funded accordingly – either publicly or privatively, otherwise growth will unfortunately continue to stifle.” WIG includes NI Chamber, Construction Employers Federation, Chartered Institute of Housing, NI Federation of Housing Associations, Manufacturing NI, NI Retail Consortium and the Institute of Directors (NI).
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To view the report, visit www.cefni.co.uk
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