The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Tuamgraney Tidy Towns group took home the Irish Water Value Award in the Village category at the SuperValu Tidy Towns regional ceremony which took place in Ennis earlier this week.
Irish Water has partnered with Tidy Towns for a second year to sponsor the Value Water Awards which are designed to lead the way in inspiring water conservation at a local level.
The Value Water award is about raising awareness of the importance of mindful water consumption within communities and is about reconnecting communities with water, creating a greater understanding of where water comes from and where wastewater goes to.
The community in Tuamgraney received the award for their project which focused on monitoring water usage in the area. The project began in 2014 when members of the local group water scheme started to monitor the water usage of 20 houses on a weekly basis using bulk readings. Weekly checks for leaks were also conducted. As a result, leaks were detected and fixed, filters replaced and pumps serviced. There are also plans to replace old piping in a pump house to ensure optimal operation of the water network
This year’s prize fund of €8,000 for the Value Water Award includes four regional winners for each category and a prize of €1,000 for Best Large Town and Best Small Town. In the South and Mid-West region, Cobh was awarded the Best Large Town Irish Water Value Award and Coolagown, also on Co Cork, received the award in the Village category.
Commenting on the Value Water Awards, Aisling Buckley of Irish Water said the work the Tuamgraney Tidy Towns group has carried out to win the award is truly inspirational, from monitoring water usage to carrying out repairs and upgrades to the local water supply system.
