Public urged to conserve water

Galway County Council is urging Gort residents to conserve water after consumption shot up by nearly 30% and a number of homes were left without water since before Christmas.

Some homes have not had running water since Christmas Eve, while others have experienced low pressure and night-time stoppages.
Liam Gavin, senior engineer for water at Galway County Council, believes that with co-operation, the water supply could be restored by the end of the week.
“The situation in Gort is that we are supplying water. The consumption has gone up by between 20% and 30% because of people leaving taps running,” he told The Clare Champion.
“That increase in consumption has meant we have had to reduce pressure in some areas and there are one or two private housing estates where the water mains and the services to the houses have frozen. What we have done for those areas is provided tankers of water where people can come and get water.
“We have to wait for the mains to thaw before we can get water to the pipes in these areas. There is a bit of a thaw on at the moment and that should help but the message at the moment is to please conserve water,” Mr Gavin continued.
Galway County Council is also encouraging people to carry on conserving water in the coming days until consumption returns to normal levels.
While people leaving taps running appears to be the main reason for the increased usage, leaks are also causing huge problems.
“A number of leaks have developed on our mains and on private property. We would ask people to check unoccupied properties too for leaks,” Mr Gavin stated.
“Don’t leave taps running, fix any leaks you may have and if you see any leaks please report them to Galway County Council either to the local area office or the head office in Galway on 091 476401,” he urged.
Gort residents and business people can refer to the council’s website at www.galway.ie for tips on avoiding frozen pipes.
While some areas of the town such as The Punchbowl on the Ennis Road and parts of the Corofin Road didn’t have water since Christmas Eve, a number of other areas experienced difficulties from Friday, January 8.
Fianna Fáil County Councillor Gerry Finnerty believes the water supply is not helping the situation.
“It is a real problem for people. A lot of those houses have families living in them. They have children and they have been off school. These people can’t cook or shower or wash clothes or dishes.
“Part of the problem is man-made and part is down to a lack of resources. The water scheme in the town was designed in 1928. In 1995, it was serving 560 houses and today there are 1,500 houses on it so that shows the pressure it is under,” he stated.
Work could begin on the €2.1 million upgrade of the water system next month, if the contracts are signed this week.
Houses in Gort’s hinterland have also been affected by water supply problems.
“I am finding that houses out in the country don’t have water either. It is not just happening in the town, it is happening in the country too. We are just not prepared for the frost,” the Fianna Fáil councillor outlined.
The advice from the councillor and agencies like Age Action Ireland is that people should check on neighbours who may be without water, especially the elderly or people with mobility difficulties.
Councillor Finnerty had high praise for frontline staff in the local authority, who worked throughout Christmas to help people having weather-related problems.