Tag Archives: Irish Water

THE stretch of road from Mullagh to Miltown is to be fully restored after pipe-laying works are finished. The news was relayed to Deputy Michael McNamara who said Clare County Council and Irish Water are committed to the works. Irish Water’s main civil engineering contractors have recently excavated the Mullagh Cross to Mack’s Cross road to accommodate the laying of a replacement watermain. “The replacement watermain will replace a section of main that had become extremely problematic in recent years and will hopefully bring a reliable supply of water to Miltown and several other areas en route,” explained Deputy McNamara. The Independent TD acknowledged the issues caused for road users during the upgrade, but stressed that those are short term. “While the inconvenience to road users at present is regrettable, it is also temporary,” he noted. “In response to my representation on behalf of the people of Mullagh and Miltown Malbay, the Road Section of Clare County Council says residents …

MORE Clare householders can now benefit from Irish Water’s free leak repair service following approval by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) to extend the scheme. In approving Irish Water’s proposals, the CRU recognises the success of the scheme in reducing leakage and safeguarding water supplies. The First Fix scheme is a key element of the national Leakage Reduction Programme which is addressing the serious problem of leakage in Ireland’s water network. The scheme provides customers with support in identifying and fixing leaks. Irish Water offers a free leak investigation and, when a potential leak has been identified, a free repair to a leak detected on an external supply pipe on the customer’s property. Since its introduction in 2015, the First Fix scheme has resulted in savings of 155 million litres of water every day, enough water to supply 450,000 homes a year. To date more than 87,000 investigations and 60,400 leak repairs have been completed. The changes approved …

IRISH Water is in hot water after the contamination of a West Clare river was linked to an “accidental” discharge from its Doolough Water Treatment Plant last week. Maidhc Garfield has claimed the Annagreeragh River was polluted as a result of the discharge of aluminium sulfate filtrate from the Doolough Water Treatment Plant on Thursday night. This claim has prompted a joint investigation by Clare County Council and Irish Water. “I have noticed the river turns an orange colour with pollution. This usually happens on a Friday or Saturday evening once a month and is a reoccurring theme on the May Bank Holiday and during bank holiday weekends. I can see dead fish floating on the river with a belly full of air poisoned from the river. “In the last five years the river bank is degrading and all the grass and roots of trees are burned. The bank is falling away. It happened again last week and I have …

AN Ennis project delivered by Irish Water in partnership with Clare County Council has been shortlisted as a finalist for the prestigious Water Industry Awards, which celebrate excellence across the water sector in Ireland and Britain. The optimisation work and improvements to the treatment process undertaken at Ennis North Wastewater Treatment Plant made the final shortlist in the ‘Asset Optimisation Initiative of the Year’ category. Teams from Irish Water and Clare County Council worked closely together to deliver this project which resulted in significant improvements in the performance and sustainability of the plant, serving a population of 25,000. As a result of this work, the energy consumed at the plant was reduced by 53%, or the equivalent of 789,000 kiloWatt hours per annum. Noise issues at the plant were also addressed, while its overall capacity was increased. The Ennis project is one of six Irish Water projects to be shortlisted for an award. Niall Gleeson, Managing Director of Irish Water, …

RURAL councillors will have to “toughen up” to ensure that smaller communities have a chance to develop in the face of a new national directive which threatens to de-zone lands without wastewater treatment facilities. At a discussion this week of a review of Clare’s Rural Development Strategy, members noted the challenges facing communities in accessing such infrastructure. Clare is still the only county to have a rural strategy and Director of Service Leonard Cleary told members of the Rural Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) that it is now being reviewed to take account of changes including those caused by the pandemic. Councillor Pat Burke said that committee members would have to work hard to have their concerns addressed in the new County Development Plan. The forthcoming blueprint will have to take account of the National Planning Framework, which stipulates that lands where there is no prospect of wastewater infrastructure being built in the lifetime of the plan must lose their zoning …

IRISH Water has warned of disruption to supply due to essential works over two days next week in parts of West Clare. On Monday, February 22 and Wednesday February 24 the water supply will be disrupted due to essential works progressing the water main upgrade between Mullagh and Milltown Malbay. On Monday, February 22 from 9am to 6pm, the entire Old Doolough Water Supply Zone, including Milltown Malbay, Mullagh, Corraclare, Creegh and all surrounding areas will experience disruption. These works will also impact on all group schemes fed from the supply. On Wednesday, February 24,the works will impact supply from 9am to 5pm primarily to Mullagh village; but will also impact on Milltown Malbay, Spanish Point and surrounding areas. These works will also impact on all group schemes fed from the supply. It may take two to three hours for normal water supply to return to all customers but it is important, notes the utility, to continue to follow the HSE …

ANGER and frustration have been expressed by West Clare councillors after Irish Water told them it has no plans to develop sewerage schemes for the villages of Cooraclare or Carrigaholt. At most recent district committee meeting, several members described the negative response from the water utility as “nonsense,” while another said it had left him speechless. Both Councillor Bill Chambers and Councillor Gabriel Keating had made requests for pilot schemes to provide waste water treatment works in their respective areas, noting that such initiatives had been outlined in the Programme for Government. In two identical responses Irish Water said it “has no statutory role where there is currently no infrastructure”. It advised councillors to direct the queries to the local authority or the government. Irate councillors then agreed to request a remote deputation to the relevant minister. “In Cooraclare, we’re waiting for the last 40 years,” said Councillor Chambers. “There’s nearly half a million spent on it already and next …

WORK on a new sewerage scheme for Ballyvaughan could begin next year, subject to planning permission, according to Irish Water. The utility outlined details in a response to a motion from Councillor Joe Killeen who asked for an update on schemes for Ballyvaughan and Kilfenora. In a reply sent ahead of the January meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, Irish Water said it anticipated acquiring lands and making a planning application this year for the Ballyvaughan Waste Water Treatment Plant (WwTP). “Irish Water is progressing with plans to construct a new wastewater treatment plant (WwTP) in Ballyvaughan that will serve a population equivalent of 1055, as well as a new pumping station and associated sewer network infrastructure,” the writte response outlined. “We are planning to acquire lands and submit a planning application to Clare County Council in 2021 for this project. Once planning has been submitted, these plans will be available for the public to view in the planning …