Council tracks leaks that led to water cuts

Date Published: 06-Dec-2010

BY FRANK FARRAGHER

THE City Council are hoping to have a water supply restored to householders in estates on the western side of the city later today, as the severe weather continues to take its toll.

Four main leaks in the mains pipe network around the city — as well as householders leaving taps running overnight — lie at the root of the current water problem, according to the City Council.

Extra crews have been drafted in to deal with the problem but individual houses are also in difficulty due to pipes freezing over.

City Council Director of Services, Ciarán Hayes, told the Sentinel that they were doing everything in their power to have disrupted supplies restored either by last evening or later today.

“Some of the leaks are difficult to locate and to repair but we have drafted in extra personnel to deal with the problem and we would hope to have the water supply restored as soon as possible, and hopefully later today,” said Mr Hayes.

He appealed to householders not to leave taps running as such water wastage could jeopardise the supply to everyone.“There is no problem whatsoever in pumping the water into the reservoirs but because of the leaks and the running taps, the reservoirs are not being replenished overnight as they would normally,” he added.

According to the City Council, they have identified four main leaks in the mains network — at Ashe Road, Shantalla; Helen Street near Cooke’s Corner; the campus of University Hospital Galway and at Merchants Road.

The water shortage problem has been felt in a number of different estates and houses in the greater Knocknacarra/Salthill area but is especially acute in the Claremont Park, Letteragh, Rahoon and Rockfield Park areas.

Read more in this week’s Connacht Sentinel