Progress on Williamstown water restoration

There may be a sliver of light for one North Galway village left without drinking water – because a system upgrade may see normal supplies restored in six months instead of the two years predicted earlier.

Still, Williamstown residents will have to boil their water for the next six months at least. They will have to wait until at least the middle of the year before they can drink water from their taps.

In the long term, however, it is planned to bring a water supply from Lough Mask to Williamstown. Currently this supply has reached Ballyhaunis and can now be extended to the North Galway Village.

Residents and public representatives met with an Irish Water representative last week who informed them that temporary works would take place at the treatment plant at Springfield Well from where they are currently getting their water supply.

Cllr. Peter Keaveney of Fine Gael said that it was unfortunate that the village had to be left on a boil notice for so long but believed that the long term solution would solve the overall problem.

The village of Williamstown is on full alert following the announcement by Irish Water that they cannot drink water from their taps as it is infected with cryptosporidium.

Locals are angry that nothing seems to have been done to rectify the problem and they are now facing the cost of having to purchase mineral water in local shops.

But it has emerged that their supply is set to come from Lough Mask via a pipe that is also set to accommodate the water needs of parts of North Roscommon. Even children attending the local national school have to bring bottled water with them in their bags as a campaign has been mounted to have the problem resolved.

However, there was seething anger over the fact that householders were told that they could be on a boil notice for the next two years.

But Cllr. Keaveney said that this situation had changed following the meeting with the Irish Water representative who gave an undertaking to carry out temporary works at the treatment plant serving the village.

“The works could take several months to complete and then there has to be a three month period of monitoring the water before the all clear is given.

“We are hopeful that it will be no more than six months before there is drinking water through the taps in Williamstown,” Cllr. Keaveney added.