Irish Water plans to spend almost €1.8 billion nationally on 386 infrastructure projects over the next 2½ years, more than 40 per cent of which will be used to fix national sewage problems.

35 million euro of that money will be spent on water supply and wastewater treatment plants in county Mayo.

The State utility has published its first capital investment plan for 2014-2016 detailing which water projects, previously undertaken by individual local authorities, will go ahead over the next two years.

It aims to lift the majority of all long-term “boil water” notices in Roscommon early next year.

Irish Water said it has “reprioritised” the infrastructure programmes of the 34 city and county councils and will be focusing funding on areas where there are “major compliance issues” which must be addressed to ensure public health and to bring Ireland into line with EU law.

The capital programme will focus on “urgent schemes” where “pollution impacts are most evident”, it said. Just over €746 million will be spent on sewage schemes, in building new facilities and expanding and upgrading existing works.

The utility has €1.2 billion of the required funding and said it will be seeking to raise additional funding.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny told Midwest News this morning where the 35 million euro investment in Mayo’s water infrastructure will be spent.

A half a million euro has been allocated for the continuing construction of the Lough Mask Regional Water Supply Scheme Water Treatment Plant upgrade. 1.7 million for the scheme’s extension from Ballinrobe to Kilmaine Watermain Rehabilitation Works, 12.4 million for a review scope and to commence construction on the Srah Westport extension.

Just under a million euro will be spent on the Lough Conn/ East Mayo Regional Water Supply Scheme Extension to Bonniconclon.

That’s a total of 15.6 million euro for water supply schemes.

While almost 20 million euro will be spent on Wastewater Treatment projects.

They include 12.2 million euro for a review scope and to begin construction on Belmullet, Foxford and Charlestown Sewerage Scheme Network and wastewater treatment plants, 7.3 million euro for work to begin on the Killala Sewerage Scheme Network and wastewater treatment plant, and 100,000 euro to continue the planning and business case review for the Breaffy village Sewerage scheme.

The Taoiseach accepted that it is the taxpayer / consumer that is paying for these new developments but insists its the only way that the necessary infrastructure can finally be put in place.