Tag Archives: Irish Water

THERE will be a period of traffic disruption in Ennis town centre from this Monday, May 16, and throughout the summer as Irish Water begins work on replacing the watermains. With Clare County Council due to progress with the county town’s public realm enhancement project, Irish Water is commencing its infrastructure upgrades ahead of these improvements. The Council has given notice of a road closure on High Street from the Junction of Salt House Lane to the Height. High Street to be closed with diversion via Old Friary Lane (reversed direction). Before the public realm enhancement project gets underway, Irish Water will replace aged watermains at High Street, Bank Place, O’Connell Square and O’Connell Street, to provide a more reliable water supply, reduce high levels of leakage and improve water quality. Gerry O’Donnell, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead with Irish Water, said “We are aware that works of this nature can cause some disruption. We would like to assure the …

LEAKAGE issues are set to be water under the bridge in central Ennis according to Irish Water as the town gets ready for a makeover. With Clare County Council due to progress with the town’s public realm enhancement project, Irish Water is set to commence vital infrastructure upgrades ahead of these improvements. Before all that works gets underway, Irish Water will replace aged watermains at High Street, Bank Place, O’Connell Square and O’Connell Street, with the aim of providing a more reliable water supply, reducing high levels of leakage and improving water quality. The works, being carried out as part of Irish Water’s National Leakage Reduction Programme, involve the replacement of over 680m of aged cast iron watermains with new modern pipes and is a continuation of the works completed on Parnell Street in 2019. The programme to replace the watermains is due to commence in mid-May. The section of works will take place from High Street through O’Connell Square/Bank …

CLARE County Councillors have expressed concern about the lack of a definite commitment to provide an economic dividend to the county if the controversial Lough Derg water abstraction proceeds. Irish Water is planning to proceed with its €1.3 billion project to pipe water from the Parteen Basin to Dublin using a 170 kilometre pipeline. Irish Water Resources Specialist, Angela Ryan said she would bring the request for a community dividend back to Irish Water to see if it can provide any more information on this proposal. She stated that any proposed economic dividend for Clare would be considered by Irish Water. While acknowledging the Shannon Scheme provided economic benefits for the country, Councillor Johnny Flynn said it posed major financial difficulties for Clare County Council, which wasn’t provided with any funding to deal with health issues for 5,200 workers. Councillor Flynn noted Clare County Council was so badly hit by increased costs it went into a dissolution in 1942. He …

Irish Water’s confirmation that the wastewater treatment plant in Kilmihil is to be upgraded will have significant environmental, social and economic benefits for the village, according to Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara. Deputy McNamara said the works would facilitate future growth in the village and would also eliminate discharges from the plant to the Doonbeg River. “I am delighted to have received confirmation that Kilmihil is one 12 schemes across Ireland to be funded by the European Union under Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan,” stated Deputy McNamara. He continued, “The sewerage network in Kilmihil is a combined system and during past storm events the plant has become hydraulically overloaded. The upgrade will prevent treatment plant discharges from reaching the Doonbeg River, which is part of the Doonbeg Freshwater Pearl Mussel sensitive area. “New commercial, retail and housing developments in the village also will be facilitated as the result of the planned upgrade of the existing treatment plant.” Deputy McNamara …

IRISH Water, working in partnership with Clare County Council, is progressing plans to deliver the Clarecastle Sewerage Scheme that will end the discharge of raw sewage into the River Fergus and Shannon Estuary. Project Delivery Lead for Irish Water, Seamus Glynn said, “Wastewater from the public sewer network in Clarecastle is currently discharged untreated into the River Fergus and the Shannon Estuary. “The discharge of untreated wastewater is unacceptable, threatens water quality and detracts from the amenity value of the area.” “Once completed, the Clarecastle Sewerage Scheme will improve the water quality in the River Fergus in compliance with national and EU regulations relating to the treatment of wastewater, and will enhance the environmental amenity of the Clarecastle area. We will be sure to keep the local community informed regarding traffic management as this essential project progresses.” The project will involve the design and construction of new below-ground infrastructure at the site of the existing Quay Road Pump Station, and …

A MEMBER of the local authority has pledged to make his views known on the performance of Irish Water when representatives of the utility attend a public meeting of Clare County Council tomorrow (Thursday).   Councillor Pat Hayes was among a number of members to express annoyance at the manner in which Irish Water treated the authority over an online briefing last month. He welcomed the fact that representatives have finally agreed to the in-person meeting this week. However, he said he would not hold back in telling Irish Water what he thought of the process to-date of consultation with the Council. “It’s just deplorable that we have to go through all this effort to try to get a public body to come to talk to us, when it’s trying to promote a scheme that is proposing to take water from the Shannon to supply the other side of the country,” he said.  Councillor Hayes explained that his understanding is …

A MEMBER of Clare County Council has described as “deplorable and shocking” the treatment of public representatives by Irish Water at a recent briefing.  Councillor Pat Hayes was sharply critical of the utility following the online event last Monday (February 14) for members of the authority. He said that while Irish Water had originally committed to an in-person briefing, with members of the media present, the utility appeared to have had a “change of heart”. “We had a commitment for a briefing before one of the monthly meetings, at which media could attend, on issues including waste water treatment, network leakage and the extraction of water from the Shannon,” the Fianna Fáil member outlined. “There was a change of heart somewhere along the line and it became an in-camera meeting. Then, it was decided to hold it on Zoom. Because councillors were travelling to Ennis for the monthly meeting, we ended up dotted around the headquarters, some having to use …

WORK has begun to construct a Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kilrush which will end the discharge of raw sewage into the Shannon Estuary. The project being delivered by EPS Group on behalf of Irish Water and Clare County Council is expected to take 18 months and is due for completion in 2023 It involves the construction of a new state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant and sewer pipelines that will serve a population equivalent of approximately 6,700. The pumping station on Frances Street will also upgrade its pumps, mechanical plant and a storm water storage tank. Speaking on-site, Esther White from Irish Water said “Wastewater from the public sewer network in Kilrush is currently discharged untreated into the estuary. “This unacceptable practice threatens water quality, detracts from the amenity value of the area and does not comply with EU regulations relating to the treatment of wastewater. “Providing improved wastewater treatment for Kilrush will enhance the environmental amenity and protect the waters of …