A SOUTH-EAST Clare resident has been forced to replace five showers in her home due to frequent water breaks and changes in pressure, writes Dan Danaher and Owen Ryan.

June Kirwan, who lives near the entrance to Corbally United FC, revealed decreasing and increasing water pressure when there is a water break on the busy regional road breaks her shower, particularly if it is being used at the time.

“I had plumbers out to check everything in the house and our problems with water pressure. After spending so much money, they realised the problems are caused by changes in the water pressure,” Ms Kirwan told The Clare Champion.

“When there is a water break on the road, they reduce the water pressure and then increase it again when it is fixed. If anyone is in the shower, I am in trouble. It is going to break the shower with the pressure coming off and on.”

Residents are becoming increasingly frustrated about the frequency of water breaks from Larkin’s to Clancy’s Cross.

Ms Kirwan, three adults and one child were left without water on Thursday, December 23, at around 2pm.

She explained the older houses usually get the water back quicker but any house built in the last 20 years can regularly be left without a supply for a few days.

She called on Irish Water to fast-track Phase Two of the proposed upgrading works from Larkin’s Cross to O’Connor’s Cross, as this is the most problematic section.

Even though six residents contacted Irish Water to report the lack of a water supply on Christmas Eve, one resident was told the national water utility hadn’t received any complaint.

She acknowledged Irish Water engineer, Kieran McNamara did his best to get people out to fix the water break.

The first time Ms Kirwan made a complaint about the lack of water with Clare County Council was back in August 2013.

She pointed out the existing water supply can’t cope with the provision of new houses in Westbury and Parteen.

“We lost water the night before the first lockdown in March 2020. We had no water for three and a half days. The Taoiseach was on the radio telling everyone to wash their hands, but we had no water for showers or to wash our hands. We had to purchase bottled water, which cost a fortune. There are about 20 houses that are regularly without a water supply.”

“Deputy Cathal Crowe had rallied to help us. We never had an issue with water on this road when I was growing up. The asbestos pipe is so old it just disintegrates.
“It embarrassing to be without water. One year the water was gone 15 times. It is just crazy to be without water about once a month. We have four adults and one child in the house that all need showers.

“I spoke to a resident in Killaloe who got new water pipes recently even though they didn’t have any water breaks.”

Every time there is a leak on the road, a stop-go system has to be introduced, which results in traffic delays and disruption.

Acknowledging the provision of temporary water tankers on Christmas Day at Corbally United, she said residents would have been in dire straits if this wasn’t made available.

However, she pointed out residents still had to purchase bottled water.

Another resident, who didn’t want to be named, said the water break lasted from 6am on Christmas Eve until December 27.

“Toilet facilities and showering are a huge issue in a house with five people. The water always seems to go during holiday periods such as Christmas and Easter.

“I was supposed to have three elderly people in the house on Christmas Day but I cancelled them. That was after taking children out of school to ensure there would be no Covid-19 in the house.

“We have lost one old electric shower, which wouldn’t cut off when the water goes.

“We had to fill five litre bottles 30 times on Christmas Day. No elderly person is going to be able to do that. The newer houses are worse off because they are on a different line.”

Resident, Kevin Neville recalled water went during the Christmas period. Thanks to the provision of a large storage water tank, he has enough water for about one day when it regularly goes and then has to use it sparingly.

“It is a nuisance when the water goes,” he said.

Irish Water will go ahead with a €1.5 million upgrade of the water mains serving the Parteen-Westbury area, beginning on January 24.

Work will be carried out by night to replace the decades-old, leak-prone pipes with new state-of-the-art ductile iron pipes, to eliminate the persistent leakage issue impacting homeowners in the area.

Councillor Pat O’Gorman raised the matter at a recent Shannon Municipal District meeting, and he said he is pleased the matter is being addressed.

“I’m delighted the allocation of money has been made for the water scheme around Shannon Banks, Westbury, over as far as Larkin’s Cross and into Parteen.

“The upgrade is badly needed, there have been several breaks in the last couple of years and every time there was a break there was a major, major problem with traffic congestion. The last time it was so near the gas line it took all day long and there was mayhem.”

He said that people in that corner had felt ignored because of the failure to tackle a major problem at an earlier stage.

“There is a lot of money being spent down there, but there is that perception because of the way the pipe kept bursting and it just wasn’t fit for purpose.”

Clare TD Cathal Crowe also welcomed the news. “It’s absolutely fantastic that we now have a commencement date for this essential upgrade in the Parteen-Westbury area.

“I live in this locality myself and in recent years, we have become accustomed to having water outages at least once a month. In 2020, there were a total of 15 outages to everybody’s huge frustration.”

He said the poor infrastructure caused huge local inconvenience.

“When the water goes, people have to try to buy bottled water from the supermarkets but after short periods, this invariably sells out and the council then come down with water tankards from which people fill buckets and cannisters.

“It’s hard to believe, in the 21st century, that one of the most populated corners of Clare and indeed Westbury – which is Munster’s largest housing estate – could be served with such decrepit water mains.

“The water mains measures 12 inches in diameter and it’s largely made up of old asbestos pipes which were laid from the 1960s to 1980s.

“These pipes are very susceptible to bursting and they struggle to carry water at its highest pressures. The new pipeline to be laid will be made of ductile iron, which is a far more durable material, and generally tends not to burst.

“Once this pipeline is fitted, water outages should become a thing of the past for almost 5,000 South Clare residents.”

He said he was pleased the works are going ahead by night, and he is requesting that the second stage of the works required go ahead soon.

“I’m appealing to Irish Water to fast-track Phase 2 of planned water mains improvements in South Clare, to bring the new water pipe beyond Larkin’s Cross so that it goes as far as O’Connor’s Cross in Parteen.

He said Irish Water has begun designing a 300 metre extension of new mains pipes from Larkin’s Cross towards O’Connor’s Cross and it is hoped works can be completed later this year.