Irish Water to spend €27 million on Galway repairs

Irish Water is ‘splashing the cash’ to repair Galway’s dodgy drinking water systems.

The utility has committed €27 million to tackle the eleven problem water supplies in the county that are considered a health risk to consumers.

It has also pledged action on six water sources in Mayo and four in Roscommon that are substandard.

Last week the Connacht Tribune revealed how almost one in every five people living in County Galway is supplied by dodgy drinking water.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed that some 32,364 residents of the county are connected to substandard water supplies that poses a ‘risk’.

Eleven public water schemes in all parts of the county are named in the EPA’s latest remedial action list, which names the supplies known to be ‘at risk’, and where corrective action is required by Irish Water.

A boil water notice, partial boil water notice or water restriction is in place at five of the schemes on the list, affecting 15,008 people. Four out of the five of these are due to the presence of potentially deadly parasite, cryptosporidium.

Irish Water (IW) is being hauled before the courts in relation to its failure to comply with an agreed programme of works at Carraroe public water supply. The scheme, serving 4,709 people, has inadequate treatment for cryptosporidium.

Boil water notices or partial notices are in force in Kilconnell, Loughrea, Williamstown and Leenane.

In a statement this week, Irish Water said it was committed to a plan to remove the eleven at-risk water supplies from the EPA’s remedial action list.

“Irish Water has committed to investing almost €27 million in water services, a significant investment in County Galway to ensure all water will be fully compliant and reaching EPA standards,” a spokesperson said.

It said that some €1 million is being invested in a short-term solution to the An Cheathrú Rua scheme. “It is scheduled to complete the works ahead of schedule by September 2016,” IW said.

The long-term plan is to connect Connemara with Galway City’s water supply.

A total of 218 people are impacted by the inadequate treatment for cryptosporidium in Leenane. The company said that upgrade works have commenced on the treatment plant and should be completed by the end of August this year, again “ahead of schedule”.

Corrective action on the Cleggan/Claddaghduff plant, where some 1,025 people were affected by elevated levels of THMs will be finished by Christmas.

The problem with Williamstown relates to poor turbidity removal – the proposed action plan is to abandon the current water supply and replace it with Lough Mask public water supply.

Some 1,348 people are served by Williamstown supply. No date has been given for the completion of the long-term measure but IW said its interim measure – proper disinfectant – will be installed this June.

Similarly, in Glenamaddy, the plan is to decommission the source and replace it with Tuam’s supply. No date was given but a disinfectant programme of works is underway as a stopgap.

The public supply in Ballyconneely also has high THMs, impacting 368 people – Irish Water said minor works are underway to “review the robustness” of the plant.

Some 233 people are impacted by the inadequate treatment of cryptosporidium in Kilconnell. IW said a process review is underway with, “the intention to return the plant to compliance by August 2016”.

Some 8,500 people are put-out by cryptosporidium in the water supply in Loughrea. The solution – the installation of UV – is supposed to be completed by May of this year. In its update this week, IW said: “UV mechanical units have been installed and commissioned in Knockanima and Lake Road. A filtration upgrade is expected to be completed in the next few weeks. There will be a process proving period after that.”

IW didn’t give any indication when works on Kilkerrin/Moylough would be completed. Some 1,932 people are impacted because the supply has no barriers for cryptosporidium, and it was due to be fixed in 2012.

Nor did it give any date as to when the upgrade of Ballinasloe supply would be completed. Some 10,270 people in the town are impacted by elevated levels of THMs that are above the standard in drinking water regulations.

A further 2,719 in Portumna also have higher than acceptable levels of THMs in the water supply. Works are ongoing in Portumna, IW said.

Mark Macauley of Irish Water said: “Irish Water has adopted a national Asset Management approach to drinking water safety which recognises the complex nature of the service and the need for an integrated programme involving investment, planned maintenance, standard operation with appropriate automation and monitoring as necessary to upgrade water supplies in Ireland to international standards.

“While ultimately requiring investment of over €2 billion in drinking water production and distribution by 2021, significant improvement is being achieved year on year by this approach.”