Rivers Agency receives top civil engineering environmental award

A DARD Rivers Agency flood alleviation scheme in Moneymore has received the highest ever score in the Construction category of the UK-wide CEEQUAL (Civil Engineering Environmental Quality) awards.

The awards recognise the environmental quality and social practices of civil engineering projects and the Rivers Agency scheme, which addressed the risk of serious flooding to more than 100 houses from the Ballymully River by constructing a 510m floodwall, scored 93%.

Last night CEEQUAL Chief Executive Roger Venables presented the award at the Construction Employers Federation in Belfast. Speaking after the event, Mr Stephen Dawson from Rivers Agency said: “We worked closely with the appointed contractor, Dawson WAM, to ensure that this project not only met its primary flood alleviation objectives but that it was constructed in an environmentally sustainable manner.

“There were many challenges to overcome and these included constraints of bird nesting and fish spawning seasons, the proximity of houses to the construction work and our desire to make energy savings through our choice of materials and the construction methods adopted.”

Prior to work commencing, the project team produced detailed plans to establish high benchmarks in sustainability including green travel, energy management, air quality, sediment and erosion control, pollution contingency, site waste management and customer care. The team engaged Ballinderry Fisheries to electrofish the watercourse to relocate small fry to a local hatchery downstream, and it also worked closely with nearby residents to deal effectively with any neighbourhood concerns.

Mr Dawson continued: “From the re-cycling perspective, 98% of inert and non-hazardous site waste material was sent to an energy recovery plant and the project included a tree-planting programme whereby we logged and stacked any felled trees to create habitats along the riverbanks for invertebrates.”

The CEEQUAL awards were established in 2003 and to date more than 60 have been made. There are five award categories including the Construction Award which the Project received.

Notes to editors:

1. Rivers Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. It is the statutory drainage and flood defence authority for Northern Ireland.

2. CEEQUAL is operated by and for the UK construction industry to promote improved sustainability in project specification, design and construction and to demonstrate the commitment of the civil engineering industry to environmental quality and social performance. The scheme rigorously assesses performance across 12 areas of environmental and social concern, rewarding projects on which clients, designers and constructors go beyond the legal and environmental minima to achieve distinctive environmental standards in their work. For more information visit http://www.ceequal.com

3. Media enquiries should be directed to the DARD Press Office on 028 9052 4619. Out of office hours please contact the duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.