WATER SUPPLY in the greater Dublin area is on a knife-edge, with demand likely to outstrip available reserves within a few years, according to a report prepared by consultants for seven local authorities.
The capital has no strategic reserves of water when it should have 10-20 per cent reserves at a minimum, while existing sources are operating near sustainable limits, the report by consultants RPS-Veolia JV states.
Dublin city councillors this week approved the consultants’ main proposal to bring excess water from the basin of the Shannon river to meet needs in the east and midlands.
The decision was taken by the council’s environment and engineering strategic policy committee (SPC) following a presentation by the consultants working for the Dublin Supply Project.
It is expected to be confirmed by the entire council later this year and will then go to An Bord Pleanála following a six-month consultation period.
The plan, the first major water supply project since the Liffey was dammed at Poulaphouca and Leixlip in the 1940s, will cost €470 million to construct over 10 years, with annual operational costs ranging from €8-15 million.
The report says the Dublin region is again approaching the stage where new long-term, secure and sustainable supplies of water are critical to its development and to the performance of the State.
“It has to be done; there is no other way,” said Fine Gael councillor Naoise Ó Muirí, who chairs the environment and engineering SPC.
The cost of operating desalination plants was too high, while international experience showed it was very difficult to reduce leakage below 20 per cent, he added.
There are currently four main water treatment plants in the greater Dublin region, which includes Kildare, north Wicklow and parts of Co Meath in addition to the capital. Their maximum output is between 540 and 550 million litres per day, while under normal circumstances demand is between 530 and 540 million litres per day.
The lack of space capacity in the Dublin system contrasts with Paris, where three treatment plants operate at just 60 per cent capacity.
The report says the fragility of the situation was starkly illustrated when increased leakages caused by last January’s cold snap led to restrictions in supply.
Leakage from the system has been reduced from 42 per cent in 1996 to 28 per cent in 2002, but the report says that the maximum supply levels will be reached in the 2020s despite further efforts to reduce leakage.
The report also points out that customer leakage losses average 65 litres per property per day, broadly comparable to the UK. It says this figure could be halved following the introduction of water metering.
“If a new source is not provided, the consequences would be supply restrictions of increasing frequency with impacts on social and economic interests combined with constraints on new development including employment generation in the region,” it warns.
A number of multinationals with plants in the region, such as Diageo, Intel and Wyeth, have expressed concern about the security and/or quality of water supplies, it is understood.
The report considered 10 different supply options, seven of them with the Shannon as the source, as well as a number of sites for desalination.
The preferred option, which involves taking the water from a point north of Lough Derg and piping it to a reservoir at a cutaway bog at Garryhinch, close to Portarlington, Co Laois, where it would be treated and distributed, involved the minimum cost, according to the consultants.
The Shannon proposal has met strong opposition from communities in the region, and local and national politicians.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label water planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water planning. Show all posts
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Council seeks to pump water daily from Shannon to Dublin
DUBLIN CITY Council is to seek approval next week for a plan to pump 350 million litres of water per day from the river Shannon to serve the capital’s drinking water needs for the next 70 years.
Councillors will be asked by the city manager to endorse the scheme, – which will cost about €500 million – and are expected to do so, before seeking Government approval and permission from An Bord Pleanála. However, it does not require the permission of any local authority in the Shannon region.
The proposal was one of several options put forward in a 2006 report commissioned by the council from consultant engineers RPS to meet the Dublin region’s ever-growing demands for water.
The Dublin region, which encompasses parts of Kildare and Wicklow, uses about 540 million litres a day, but is only able to produce 518 million litres.
The council is working to increase the capacity of its own water facilities, but says it needs the new source if it is to meet rising demands.
Dublin city manager John Tierney said yesterday the new water source would not only serve household water needs, but would be vital to attracting businesses to the region.
The Shannon proposal has met strong opposition from communities in the region, and local and national politicians – including Westmeath-based Fianna Fáil TD, Mary O’Rourke, who in 2007 described the proposal as a “rape of our water”.
The Shannon Protection Alliance group, which includes boating enthusiasts, anglers and farmers, was also established to oppose the scheme.
Several proposals for taking water from the Shannon for Dublin have been considered, but the one expected to be put to city councillors involves piping water from one of the Shannon lakes to a disused Bord na Móna bog in the midlands, where it would be stored in the form of an artificial lake, from where water would be taken by pipe to Dublin.
Mr Tierney said the Shannon was a national resource. “We see this as a national project. If water is brought from the Shannon to Dublin it will provide for economic growth. Dublin is crucially important as the economic driver of the country.”
The abstraction of 350 million litres of water daily from the Shannon would have no detrimental effects on the river or on water supplies for counties surrounding the Shannon, Mr Tierney added.
“The 350 million litres represents a maximum of just 3 per cent of the water flowing out of the Shannon water sources every day,” he said.
Due to the scale of the project, it is likely to be 2020 before it would be completed. The capacity of the city’s largest reservoir at Ballymore Eustace is due to increase from 275 million litres to 318 million by the end of this year. A project is also under way to increase the capacity of the Leixlip reservoir.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Councillors will be asked by the city manager to endorse the scheme, – which will cost about €500 million – and are expected to do so, before seeking Government approval and permission from An Bord Pleanála. However, it does not require the permission of any local authority in the Shannon region.
The proposal was one of several options put forward in a 2006 report commissioned by the council from consultant engineers RPS to meet the Dublin region’s ever-growing demands for water.
The Dublin region, which encompasses parts of Kildare and Wicklow, uses about 540 million litres a day, but is only able to produce 518 million litres.
The council is working to increase the capacity of its own water facilities, but says it needs the new source if it is to meet rising demands.
Dublin city manager John Tierney said yesterday the new water source would not only serve household water needs, but would be vital to attracting businesses to the region.
The Shannon proposal has met strong opposition from communities in the region, and local and national politicians – including Westmeath-based Fianna Fáil TD, Mary O’Rourke, who in 2007 described the proposal as a “rape of our water”.
The Shannon Protection Alliance group, which includes boating enthusiasts, anglers and farmers, was also established to oppose the scheme.
Several proposals for taking water from the Shannon for Dublin have been considered, but the one expected to be put to city councillors involves piping water from one of the Shannon lakes to a disused Bord na Móna bog in the midlands, where it would be stored in the form of an artificial lake, from where water would be taken by pipe to Dublin.
Mr Tierney said the Shannon was a national resource. “We see this as a national project. If water is brought from the Shannon to Dublin it will provide for economic growth. Dublin is crucially important as the economic driver of the country.”
The abstraction of 350 million litres of water daily from the Shannon would have no detrimental effects on the river or on water supplies for counties surrounding the Shannon, Mr Tierney added.
“The 350 million litres represents a maximum of just 3 per cent of the water flowing out of the Shannon water sources every day,” he said.
Due to the scale of the project, it is likely to be 2020 before it would be completed. The capacity of the city’s largest reservoir at Ballymore Eustace is due to increase from 275 million litres to 318 million by the end of this year. A project is also under way to increase the capacity of the Leixlip reservoir.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Government's water plans criticised
Environmental campaigners today attacked the Government’s plans for protecting the country’s waters.
On the eve of World Water Day activists said new management proposals were wholly inadequate in preventing pollution of rivers, lakes and bays.
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) claimed raw or insufficiently treated sewage was flowing into more than 100 locations nationwide because of poor handling of waste water.
The Government is required to produce water management plans under the European Union’s Water Framework Directive.
But SWAN - which is made up of 24 different campaign groups - urged Minister for the Environment John Gormley not to sign off on the proposals.
“Despite the fact that under law they must set out a management plan for all our waters, our coastal waters are being completely ignored,” spokeswoman Sineád O’Brien said.
“This is a disgrace, given that we are an island nation and rely on clean coasts for fishing, business, recreation and tourism,” she added. “I find it hard to believe that a Green Minister, and one from a coastal constituency at that, is overseeing plans with such major failings.”
Ms O’Brien said the plans also did little or nothing to prevent the destruction of freshwater habitats from agriculture, forestry and sewage pollution.
“In Ireland we are lucky to still have a few of the most pristine lakes and river stretches in Europe,” she said. “These should be treasured as the jewels in the crown of our landscape. Instead, even these last gems are being ruined because the Government continues to allow pollution to flow into them.”
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said Mr Gormley had not yet seen the plans, which are being drafted up by local authorities before being submitted to him.
“He’s anxious to have plans of the highest quality possible so when he sees them he will look at them in detail and see if anything needs to be addressed.”
The spokesman defended the department’s handling of water management. “More money than ever before is being invested in water infrastructure in Ireland - €510 million this year, which is more than ever - and more resources than ever before are going into water enforcement.”
Meanwhile, Fine Gael’s environment spokesman Phil Hogan called for a radical reform of the entire water system.
At the party’s national conference in Killarney Mr Hogan said the current water delivery infrastructure was a “shambles” and called for a single national utility company to take over from local authorities.
“This is a not a quango but a commercial company seeking a return on its investment and operations, similar to the ESB or Bord Gáis,” he said. “You can’t build a smart economy with dirty water.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
On the eve of World Water Day activists said new management proposals were wholly inadequate in preventing pollution of rivers, lakes and bays.
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) claimed raw or insufficiently treated sewage was flowing into more than 100 locations nationwide because of poor handling of waste water.
The Government is required to produce water management plans under the European Union’s Water Framework Directive.
But SWAN - which is made up of 24 different campaign groups - urged Minister for the Environment John Gormley not to sign off on the proposals.
“Despite the fact that under law they must set out a management plan for all our waters, our coastal waters are being completely ignored,” spokeswoman Sineád O’Brien said.
“This is a disgrace, given that we are an island nation and rely on clean coasts for fishing, business, recreation and tourism,” she added. “I find it hard to believe that a Green Minister, and one from a coastal constituency at that, is overseeing plans with such major failings.”
Ms O’Brien said the plans also did little or nothing to prevent the destruction of freshwater habitats from agriculture, forestry and sewage pollution.
“In Ireland we are lucky to still have a few of the most pristine lakes and river stretches in Europe,” she said. “These should be treasured as the jewels in the crown of our landscape. Instead, even these last gems are being ruined because the Government continues to allow pollution to flow into them.”
A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said Mr Gormley had not yet seen the plans, which are being drafted up by local authorities before being submitted to him.
“He’s anxious to have plans of the highest quality possible so when he sees them he will look at them in detail and see if anything needs to be addressed.”
The spokesman defended the department’s handling of water management. “More money than ever before is being invested in water infrastructure in Ireland - €510 million this year, which is more than ever - and more resources than ever before are going into water enforcement.”
Meanwhile, Fine Gael’s environment spokesman Phil Hogan called for a radical reform of the entire water system.
At the party’s national conference in Killarney Mr Hogan said the current water delivery infrastructure was a “shambles” and called for a single national utility company to take over from local authorities.
“This is a not a quango but a commercial company seeking a return on its investment and operations, similar to the ESB or Bord Gáis,” he said. “You can’t build a smart economy with dirty water.”
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Plan to take water from Kenmare river opposed
A PLAN to extract 2,500 cubic metres of water a day from the Sheen river to tackle serious water shortages in Kenmare, one of the country’s top tourist towns, has met vigorous opposition at Kerry County Council.
The proposal to use the Sheen to augment current lake supply is a key part of the €12 million scheme needed for the town.
Opponents who include residents of communities along the Sheen are fearful their land will be sterilised when it comes to farming practices and planning for new houses, want the council to extract the water from surrounding mountain lakes, primarily the Barfinnihy lake.
However, the council says the Barfinnihy option would cost €3.5 million more than the Sheen river option and would require three dams and roadways to be constructed.
“We need water for Kenmare,” Kerry county manager Tom Curran said. “We need it urgently. If you reject this plant today I have nowhere to go.”
The proposal is to extract water from near the mouth of the Sheen, almost at tidal level, and pump the water to a new treatment plant north of the town.
Kenmare is supplied with a maximum of 1,800 cubic metres of water a day while it needs 2,650 and will in future need more than 4,000 cubic metres, consultants have found.
Anglers fear that the extraction of thousands of cubic metres will harm the salmon and sea trout river and its water falls.
“They will have to take the Falls out of the Sheen,” warned councillor Michael Healy-Rae, referring to the well-known Sheen Falls Hotel.
Director of waters services Oliver Ring said: “Kenmare is going to be without water the next dry summer that comes along. We need to get water for Kenmare and this is the best option.”
He said the best solution was to put it before An Bord Pleanála.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The proposal to use the Sheen to augment current lake supply is a key part of the €12 million scheme needed for the town.
Opponents who include residents of communities along the Sheen are fearful their land will be sterilised when it comes to farming practices and planning for new houses, want the council to extract the water from surrounding mountain lakes, primarily the Barfinnihy lake.
However, the council says the Barfinnihy option would cost €3.5 million more than the Sheen river option and would require three dams and roadways to be constructed.
“We need water for Kenmare,” Kerry county manager Tom Curran said. “We need it urgently. If you reject this plant today I have nowhere to go.”
The proposal is to extract water from near the mouth of the Sheen, almost at tidal level, and pump the water to a new treatment plant north of the town.
Kenmare is supplied with a maximum of 1,800 cubic metres of water a day while it needs 2,650 and will in future need more than 4,000 cubic metres, consultants have found.
Anglers fear that the extraction of thousands of cubic metres will harm the salmon and sea trout river and its water falls.
“They will have to take the Falls out of the Sheen,” warned councillor Michael Healy-Rae, referring to the well-known Sheen Falls Hotel.
Director of waters services Oliver Ring said: “Kenmare is going to be without water the next dry summer that comes along. We need to get water for Kenmare and this is the best option.”
He said the best solution was to put it before An Bord Pleanála.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 3 August 2009
€870m spent but our water quality shows 'little improvement'
A massive €870m of taxpayers' cash, spent on upgrading water treatment plants over five years, has resulted in 'little significant improvement' in our water quality.
Despite the cash injection between 2002 and 2007, only minimum safety standards are being met in most public water supplies - and the quality of supplies to a small section of the population has actually deteriorated.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) also states that there are ongoing problems with drinking water supplies being contaminated with E coli, cryptosporidium and other potentially dangerous bugs.
The report on expenditure in water infrastructure by the Department of the Environment found that 339 public supplies - accounting for 36pc of all supplies - need 'immediate action' to help improve drinking water quality.
EPA monitoring has found that E coli is present in 5pc of all public supplies and the C&AG says continued investment in treatment plants would lead to improvements. In addition, he says that more prosecutions are needed.
Ireland compares poorly with many of our EU neighbours in terms of safety of our drinking water. Ireland has the highest rate of cryptosporidium contamination among 16 EU nations, while levels of E coli contamination are nearly 30 times higher than found in supplies in England and Wales.
Around 1.1 million people are drinking water which may not have been properly treated.
The Department of the Environment said it recognised that further improvements were necessary, but that half a billion euro would be spent this year on new infrastructure.
"Most of the areas identified as requiring investment, are earmarked for funding or work is underway or due to commence shortly" - a spokesman said.
The Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Despite the cash injection between 2002 and 2007, only minimum safety standards are being met in most public water supplies - and the quality of supplies to a small section of the population has actually deteriorated.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) also states that there are ongoing problems with drinking water supplies being contaminated with E coli, cryptosporidium and other potentially dangerous bugs.
The report on expenditure in water infrastructure by the Department of the Environment found that 339 public supplies - accounting for 36pc of all supplies - need 'immediate action' to help improve drinking water quality.
EPA monitoring has found that E coli is present in 5pc of all public supplies and the C&AG says continued investment in treatment plants would lead to improvements. In addition, he says that more prosecutions are needed.
Ireland compares poorly with many of our EU neighbours in terms of safety of our drinking water. Ireland has the highest rate of cryptosporidium contamination among 16 EU nations, while levels of E coli contamination are nearly 30 times higher than found in supplies in England and Wales.
Around 1.1 million people are drinking water which may not have been properly treated.
The Department of the Environment said it recognised that further improvements were necessary, but that half a billion euro would be spent this year on new infrastructure.
"Most of the areas identified as requiring investment, are earmarked for funding or work is underway or due to commence shortly" - a spokesman said.
The Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Call to take drinking water role away from councils
THE OPERATION of drinking water treatment plants should be taken away from local authorities and outsourced to private companies because of repeated failures to provide safe water, the ESRI says.
The economic think-tank has called for a national authority to be established to take responsibility for providing water which meets EU safety standards.
Using data from the Environmental Protection Agency, the ESRI says that at least one water supply in all Irish cities and counties failed to meet EU standards in 2007.
It also notes that more than 5pc of the population had their drinking water polluted with manganese, iron, lead or aluminium, and that the percentage of people suffering from biological contamination, including e-coli, is "even larger".
"At first sight, these results are alarming," it says.
The 'Drinking Water Quality' bulletin published yesterday says that in 2007, the most recent year for which data is available, water quality was not much better than in 2006.
Skills
In 2006, 88pc of people had something wrong with their water and in 2007 this was 85pc. Many sources that reported a problem in 2006 continued to report the same problem in 2007.
"Maintaining drinking water quality requires particular skills and expertise as well as resources. Given the results set out above, it is questionable whether the existing system, with the local authorities at the centre, is equipped to guarantee drinking water quality," the report says.
It adds that in some counties, the number of people using local supplies do not justify employing a full-time expert to operate plants, and that the civil service "does not offer a career perspective" for specialists.
While local authorities should remain responsible for ensuring safety standards are met, the operation of the plants should be outsourced to specialist companies.
"These problems can be addressed. For example, county councils could outsource the operation of drinking water facilities to specialised companies or responsibility for water services could be transferred to a single national authority."
The City and County Managers Association rejected claims there was no career path for specialists, adding that a "wide range" of approaches were used to manage water infrastructure. It added there was a need for continued investment to ensure standards were maintained.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
The economic think-tank has called for a national authority to be established to take responsibility for providing water which meets EU safety standards.
Using data from the Environmental Protection Agency, the ESRI says that at least one water supply in all Irish cities and counties failed to meet EU standards in 2007.
It also notes that more than 5pc of the population had their drinking water polluted with manganese, iron, lead or aluminium, and that the percentage of people suffering from biological contamination, including e-coli, is "even larger".
"At first sight, these results are alarming," it says.
The 'Drinking Water Quality' bulletin published yesterday says that in 2007, the most recent year for which data is available, water quality was not much better than in 2006.
Skills
In 2006, 88pc of people had something wrong with their water and in 2007 this was 85pc. Many sources that reported a problem in 2006 continued to report the same problem in 2007.
"Maintaining drinking water quality requires particular skills and expertise as well as resources. Given the results set out above, it is questionable whether the existing system, with the local authorities at the centre, is equipped to guarantee drinking water quality," the report says.
It adds that in some counties, the number of people using local supplies do not justify employing a full-time expert to operate plants, and that the civil service "does not offer a career perspective" for specialists.
While local authorities should remain responsible for ensuring safety standards are met, the operation of the plants should be outsourced to specialist companies.
"These problems can be addressed. For example, county councils could outsource the operation of drinking water facilities to specialised companies or responsibility for water services could be transferred to a single national authority."
The City and County Managers Association rejected claims there was no career path for specialists, adding that a "wide range" of approaches were used to manage water infrastructure. It added there was a need for continued investment to ensure standards were maintained.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 20 March 2009
Cuts must not affect water monitoring
TWO YEARS after the alert was raised over serious contamination of Galway’s drinking water, a US expert has warned that public health monitoring of the water supply must not become a victim of Government cutbacks.
Dr Jon MacDonagh-Dumler, who has studied the impact of the cryptosporidium contamination which claimed over 100 lives in Milwaukee 16 years ago, said that drinking-water monitoring must remain “high on the priority list”.
If Ireland is to learn from mistakes made in the US, communication with the public on water quality issues is also imperative, he said.
While there were no fatalities in Galway’s cryptosporidium contamination two years ago, a small number of people still have chronic illness associated with it and city residents continue to express concern about lead contamination detected last year.
“The US is still not where it should be on this issue, in spite of the fact that the Milwaukee contamination in the Great Lakes area of 1993 is still the worst public health incident on record,” Dr MacDonagh-Dumler said.
He is based at NUI Galway on a Fulbright scholarship, where he is studying the implementation and likely impact here of the EU water framework directive.
The EU directive is an “innovative” piece of legislation on a “world scale”, which has great potential to improve water quality management – depending on how it is implemented in EU member states, he said.
The directive combines the regulations of 11 existing major EU directives in one management scheme.
Ireland and other member states must implement the first water management plan by the end of this year, and the deadline for public comments on draft river basin management plans is in June.
The directive allows for stakeholder involvement by the public, and public participation and education needs to be a priority here, he said. “Water quality is affected in so many ways by human activity that it only makes sense to get people involved in decision making,” he said.
Residents of one Galway suburb where lead was recorded at elevated levels last year fear that they may have to pay out over €370,00 in total to secure a safe domestic water supply.
For the past six months, residents of 251 homes in Old Mervue have been forced to draw water from a communal tank in their housing estate or use bottled water after tests revealed high lead levels in their water supply.
At a specially convened meeting for local residents, Anne Egan of Mervue Residents’ Association said that each household could be facing an average bill of €1,500 to connect up to a new piping system. The local authority is not required legally to provide a connection between the stopcock and domestic taps.
The residents have decided to seek their own legal opinion, and they have also voted in favour of commissioning an independent engineering report on the issue.
Work to replace the distribution main in Old Mervue is already under way and is due to be completed by September.
The Mervue Rapid group, which is involved in community initiatives, said that residents had a right to clean water. “We are worried many young couples in the area with mortgages, as well as the elderly, can’t afford this cost.”
Robert Pierce was at the meeting on behalf of his 84-year-old mother Lil, who lives in one of the affected homes.
“They are going to put good water past the house, and then make us pay for it. This can’t be right. We should take this to the European Court of Human Rights,” Mr Pierce said.
Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) supported the residents’ action, while Cllr Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green) said that “we need as a city to deal with this problem [and] sit down with the council and get a plan in place”.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Dr Jon MacDonagh-Dumler, who has studied the impact of the cryptosporidium contamination which claimed over 100 lives in Milwaukee 16 years ago, said that drinking-water monitoring must remain “high on the priority list”.
If Ireland is to learn from mistakes made in the US, communication with the public on water quality issues is also imperative, he said.
While there were no fatalities in Galway’s cryptosporidium contamination two years ago, a small number of people still have chronic illness associated with it and city residents continue to express concern about lead contamination detected last year.
“The US is still not where it should be on this issue, in spite of the fact that the Milwaukee contamination in the Great Lakes area of 1993 is still the worst public health incident on record,” Dr MacDonagh-Dumler said.
He is based at NUI Galway on a Fulbright scholarship, where he is studying the implementation and likely impact here of the EU water framework directive.
The EU directive is an “innovative” piece of legislation on a “world scale”, which has great potential to improve water quality management – depending on how it is implemented in EU member states, he said.
The directive combines the regulations of 11 existing major EU directives in one management scheme.
Ireland and other member states must implement the first water management plan by the end of this year, and the deadline for public comments on draft river basin management plans is in June.
The directive allows for stakeholder involvement by the public, and public participation and education needs to be a priority here, he said. “Water quality is affected in so many ways by human activity that it only makes sense to get people involved in decision making,” he said.
Residents of one Galway suburb where lead was recorded at elevated levels last year fear that they may have to pay out over €370,00 in total to secure a safe domestic water supply.
For the past six months, residents of 251 homes in Old Mervue have been forced to draw water from a communal tank in their housing estate or use bottled water after tests revealed high lead levels in their water supply.
At a specially convened meeting for local residents, Anne Egan of Mervue Residents’ Association said that each household could be facing an average bill of €1,500 to connect up to a new piping system. The local authority is not required legally to provide a connection between the stopcock and domestic taps.
The residents have decided to seek their own legal opinion, and they have also voted in favour of commissioning an independent engineering report on the issue.
Work to replace the distribution main in Old Mervue is already under way and is due to be completed by September.
The Mervue Rapid group, which is involved in community initiatives, said that residents had a right to clean water. “We are worried many young couples in the area with mortgages, as well as the elderly, can’t afford this cost.”
Robert Pierce was at the meeting on behalf of his 84-year-old mother Lil, who lives in one of the affected homes.
“They are going to put good water past the house, and then make us pay for it. This can’t be right. We should take this to the European Court of Human Rights,” Mr Pierce said.
Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) supported the residents’ action, while Cllr Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green) said that “we need as a city to deal with this problem [and] sit down with the council and get a plan in place”.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 8 March 2009
€600m plan to pump Shannon water to capital opposed
OPPONENTS OF Dublin City Council’ proposals to source hundreds of millions of litres of water per day from the Shannon vowed they would take their opposition to the project to the European Commission at a public meeting in Dromineer, Co Tipperary last night.
At the meeting which marked the end of initial public consultation on the water abstraction plan, RPS Consulting Engineers confirmed that seven of the 10 options to supply Dublin with water into the future, involve water abstraction from the Shannon and its lakes.
But members of the Shannon Protection Alliance, a group which claims support of more then 100,000 people who live, work and enjoy the Shannon region expressed concern for the continuance of navigation along the river, the maintenance of fish stocks and the impact on tourism. Also among the concerns raised were risks to the Ardnacrusha hydroelectric plant at Limerick, wildlife, lake recreation and local drinking water supplies.
Concern was also raised about issues of “water rights”, and the potential for legal conflict, as happened, the alliance has claimed, in the case of the Colorado river in the USA, during periods of drought.
Speakers opposed to the €600 million scheme, said they were seeking advice from the European Commission to ascertain if any water directives were being infringed and would, if the scheme went ahead, take a case to the European Court if necessary.
However, Gerry Geoghegan of RPS Consulting Engineers maintained the scheme can be compatible with the aims of different Shannon users, and he said that any proposal accepted by Dublin City Council and subsequently approved by the Minister for Environment, would also be subject to the planning laws and a water abstraction licence.
But Mr Geoghegan acknowledged that in the event of low flows following abstraction, the ESB may have to be compensated for the resultant lack of generation potential.
RPS has been retained to report on the options by Dublin City Council and Mr Geoghegan told The Irish Times he expected the report to be ready by this May.
He told last night’s meeting that an emerging option would be to take water from the Shannon in winter, when high levels were frequently a problem, and pump it to two new lakes to be created on cut-away bogs, one near Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath, and the other near Portarlington, Co Laois, before piping it on to Dublin on a year-round basis.
Currently the Dublin region uses about 560 million litres per day which by 2016 will have risen to 630 million litres and by 2031 to 800 million litres.
However, in order to ensure continuity of supply the council said it needs an extra 300 million litres in addition to what is provided by its existing water sources.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
At the meeting which marked the end of initial public consultation on the water abstraction plan, RPS Consulting Engineers confirmed that seven of the 10 options to supply Dublin with water into the future, involve water abstraction from the Shannon and its lakes.
But members of the Shannon Protection Alliance, a group which claims support of more then 100,000 people who live, work and enjoy the Shannon region expressed concern for the continuance of navigation along the river, the maintenance of fish stocks and the impact on tourism. Also among the concerns raised were risks to the Ardnacrusha hydroelectric plant at Limerick, wildlife, lake recreation and local drinking water supplies.
Concern was also raised about issues of “water rights”, and the potential for legal conflict, as happened, the alliance has claimed, in the case of the Colorado river in the USA, during periods of drought.
Speakers opposed to the €600 million scheme, said they were seeking advice from the European Commission to ascertain if any water directives were being infringed and would, if the scheme went ahead, take a case to the European Court if necessary.
However, Gerry Geoghegan of RPS Consulting Engineers maintained the scheme can be compatible with the aims of different Shannon users, and he said that any proposal accepted by Dublin City Council and subsequently approved by the Minister for Environment, would also be subject to the planning laws and a water abstraction licence.
But Mr Geoghegan acknowledged that in the event of low flows following abstraction, the ESB may have to be compensated for the resultant lack of generation potential.
RPS has been retained to report on the options by Dublin City Council and Mr Geoghegan told The Irish Times he expected the report to be ready by this May.
He told last night’s meeting that an emerging option would be to take water from the Shannon in winter, when high levels were frequently a problem, and pump it to two new lakes to be created on cut-away bogs, one near Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath, and the other near Portarlington, Co Laois, before piping it on to Dublin on a year-round basis.
Currently the Dublin region uses about 560 million litres per day which by 2016 will have risen to 630 million litres and by 2031 to 800 million litres.
However, in order to ensure continuity of supply the council said it needs an extra 300 million litres in addition to what is provided by its existing water sources.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Dublin water proposals to be released today
PROPOSALS TO pump water from the Shannon river's lakes to Dublin to serve the city's water needs will be released for public consultation by Dublin City Council today.
The public will be invited to make submissions in relation to 10 options the council has put forward to prevent Dublin from running out of water. The current water supplies will not be sufficient to serve the city beyond 2016.
Of these 10 options, seven involve taking the equivalent of hundreds of millions of litres of water from the Shannon to serve Dublin every day.
The council said it would not select a preferred option until after the public consultation process - which ends on February 27th - was completed and the various submissions assessed.
However, the documentation being released for public consultation evaluates each option and either discounts or gives a negative weighting to the three non-Shannon-related options.
The most positive rating is given to the option which involves piping water from Lough Derg to a disused Bord na Móna bog in the midlands, where it would be stored in the form of an artificial lake, for use as required by the Dublin region and parts of the midlands.
The three options which do not involve the Shannon and its lakes are desalination, the use of ground-water supplies in the Fingal-Kildare areas, and the use of water from the upper river Liffey in conjunction with water from the river Barrow.
The council has effectively dismissed the latter two options, stating that they "cannot provide required quantities of water". Desalination is technically feasible, the council said, but has been ranked as one of the least positive options.
From the point of view of the technical process, desalination is ranked as a negative option.
In environmental terms it is ranked as negative to neutral; in socio-economic terms it is ranked as negative, and in economic terms it is ranked as very negative.
The Lough Derg and bog storage option has no negative effects, according to the council's assessment.
Two bogs have been identified as suitable for storage - one near Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath, and the other near Portarlington, Co Laois. The artificial lakes could be used to create "midlands environmental parks", which would generate tourism for the surrounding areas.
The other Shannon options involve taking water from Lough Ree, Lough Derg and the Parteen Basin, with combinations of bog storage, "impoundment" - water storage at a location in the Wicklow mountains, or direct pumping to Dublin.
The greater Dublin region currently uses about 560 million litres per day; by 2016 this will have risen to 630 million litres and by 2031 it will have a demand for 800 million litres. However, in order to ensure continuity of supply the council said it needs an extra 300 million litres in addition to what is provided by its existing water sources.
Executive manager with the council Tom Leahy said the city cannot be allowed to run out of water. "We have a looming situation in 2016. Currently the supply- demand balance is on a knife edge."
The council is likely to receive large numbers of negative submissions, particularly from Shannon area politicians, environmental bodies and community groups.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The public will be invited to make submissions in relation to 10 options the council has put forward to prevent Dublin from running out of water. The current water supplies will not be sufficient to serve the city beyond 2016.
Of these 10 options, seven involve taking the equivalent of hundreds of millions of litres of water from the Shannon to serve Dublin every day.
The council said it would not select a preferred option until after the public consultation process - which ends on February 27th - was completed and the various submissions assessed.
However, the documentation being released for public consultation evaluates each option and either discounts or gives a negative weighting to the three non-Shannon-related options.
The most positive rating is given to the option which involves piping water from Lough Derg to a disused Bord na Móna bog in the midlands, where it would be stored in the form of an artificial lake, for use as required by the Dublin region and parts of the midlands.
The three options which do not involve the Shannon and its lakes are desalination, the use of ground-water supplies in the Fingal-Kildare areas, and the use of water from the upper river Liffey in conjunction with water from the river Barrow.
The council has effectively dismissed the latter two options, stating that they "cannot provide required quantities of water". Desalination is technically feasible, the council said, but has been ranked as one of the least positive options.
From the point of view of the technical process, desalination is ranked as a negative option.
In environmental terms it is ranked as negative to neutral; in socio-economic terms it is ranked as negative, and in economic terms it is ranked as very negative.
The Lough Derg and bog storage option has no negative effects, according to the council's assessment.
Two bogs have been identified as suitable for storage - one near Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath, and the other near Portarlington, Co Laois. The artificial lakes could be used to create "midlands environmental parks", which would generate tourism for the surrounding areas.
The other Shannon options involve taking water from Lough Ree, Lough Derg and the Parteen Basin, with combinations of bog storage, "impoundment" - water storage at a location in the Wicklow mountains, or direct pumping to Dublin.
The greater Dublin region currently uses about 560 million litres per day; by 2016 this will have risen to 630 million litres and by 2031 it will have a demand for 800 million litres. However, in order to ensure continuity of supply the council said it needs an extra 300 million litres in addition to what is provided by its existing water sources.
Executive manager with the council Tom Leahy said the city cannot be allowed to run out of water. "We have a looming situation in 2016. Currently the supply- demand balance is on a knife edge."
The council is likely to receive large numbers of negative submissions, particularly from Shannon area politicians, environmental bodies and community groups.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 16 November 2008
Council to discuss use of Shannon water for the capital
The controversial plan by Dublin City Council to take water from the Shannon will be placed before a special meeting next week.
The local authority has convened its environment committee to consider the proposal, which has come up against strenuous opposition.
A spokesman for the council confirmed the plan will be one of several options placed before the committee. "If we pass it, then it will go before the full council for approval" - said the chairman of the environment committee, Tom Stafford (FF).
Even if it is passed, a public consultation process will have to be undertaken, the spokesman said. The council proposes to abstract 350 million litres of water a day from Lough Ree and Lough Derg to serve the capital. City water engineers believe Dublin will require a new source of water by 2015 to cater for its growing population.
The details of how the council would implement such a policy is the subject of a major study of Dublin's water supply. One of the options being examined by RPS Veolia is the possibility of taking water from the lakes in winter and storing it in a reservoir.
Mr Stafford said he has invited the ESB and the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland to attend the meeting, to be held on November 21.
The Shannon Protection Alliance, who object to the scheme, marched to Leinster House in September protesting against the council's proposals.
The local authority has convened its environment committee to consider the proposal, which has come up against strenuous opposition.
A spokesman for the council confirmed the plan will be one of several options placed before the committee. "If we pass it, then it will go before the full council for approval" - said the chairman of the environment committee, Tom Stafford (FF).
Even if it is passed, a public consultation process will have to be undertaken, the spokesman said. The council proposes to abstract 350 million litres of water a day from Lough Ree and Lough Derg to serve the capital. City water engineers believe Dublin will require a new source of water by 2015 to cater for its growing population.
The details of how the council would implement such a policy is the subject of a major study of Dublin's water supply. One of the options being examined by RPS Veolia is the possibility of taking water from the lakes in winter and storing it in a reservoir.
Mr Stafford said he has invited the ESB and the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland to attend the meeting, to be held on November 21.
The Shannon Protection Alliance, who object to the scheme, marched to Leinster House in September protesting against the council's proposals.
Monday, 29 September 2008
Shannon water protesters march on Dail
PROTESTERS LIVING in the Shannon river's catchment yesterday marched on the Dáil to oppose proposals to draw huge volumes of water from two Shannon lakes to supply Dublin.
Members of the Shannon Protection Alliance, which was founded to oppose the proposal to extract as much as 350 million litres a day from the Shannon to supply the capital, gathered outside the Dáil to seek political support.
Alliance spokesman PJ Walsh, who completed a 100-mile four-day protest march from Lough Ree, was joined by supporters from the Shannon region outside the Dáil. They called on the Minister for the Environment John Gormley to block any move to take water from the Shannon.
"We do not deny the right of Dublin citizens to have water, but we do object to the method by which Dublin City Council proposes to supply that water," said Mr Walsh. Dublin City Council has deemed that a new water source will be required for the capital by 2015 and that up to 350 million litres a day from this new source will be needed by 2031.
The chairman of the Save Our Lough Derg group, Joe O'Donoghue, said the focus on sourcing the supply for Dublin had switched from Lough Ree to Lough Derg over the past few months due to a vocal campaign spearheaded by communities in the Lough Ree catchment.
Mr O'Donoghue said they believed there were at least four locations on Lough Derg being looked at as extraction points. "If we get very dry summers, as is predicted by the experts, then extracting millions of gallons of water could cause major environmental hazards for fish and other aquatic life. Economically and ecologically, this would be a disaster for the whole midwest region."
The chairman of the Lough Derg Anglers' Association, Kevin Grimes, said there was a total absence of a national strategy for water extraction from rivers and lakes and no figures were available to indicate the possible profound consequences for the rich wildlife and fishhabitat of Loughs Derg and Ree and their tributaries.
"We are already trying very hard to save endangered fish species on Lough Derg such as pollan and gilaroo trout.
"Extracting such a huge volume of water from the lake could finally wipe out these species forever and threaten spawning conditions for trout and salmon in local rivers if waters went very low," said Mr Grimes.
PETER GLEESON
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Members of the Shannon Protection Alliance, which was founded to oppose the proposal to extract as much as 350 million litres a day from the Shannon to supply the capital, gathered outside the Dáil to seek political support.
Alliance spokesman PJ Walsh, who completed a 100-mile four-day protest march from Lough Ree, was joined by supporters from the Shannon region outside the Dáil. They called on the Minister for the Environment John Gormley to block any move to take water from the Shannon.
"We do not deny the right of Dublin citizens to have water, but we do object to the method by which Dublin City Council proposes to supply that water," said Mr Walsh. Dublin City Council has deemed that a new water source will be required for the capital by 2015 and that up to 350 million litres a day from this new source will be needed by 2031.
The chairman of the Save Our Lough Derg group, Joe O'Donoghue, said the focus on sourcing the supply for Dublin had switched from Lough Ree to Lough Derg over the past few months due to a vocal campaign spearheaded by communities in the Lough Ree catchment.
Mr O'Donoghue said they believed there were at least four locations on Lough Derg being looked at as extraction points. "If we get very dry summers, as is predicted by the experts, then extracting millions of gallons of water could cause major environmental hazards for fish and other aquatic life. Economically and ecologically, this would be a disaster for the whole midwest region."
The chairman of the Lough Derg Anglers' Association, Kevin Grimes, said there was a total absence of a national strategy for water extraction from rivers and lakes and no figures were available to indicate the possible profound consequences for the rich wildlife and fishhabitat of Loughs Derg and Ree and their tributaries.
"We are already trying very hard to save endangered fish species on Lough Derg such as pollan and gilaroo trout.
"Extracting such a huge volume of water from the lake could finally wipe out these species forever and threaten spawning conditions for trout and salmon in local rivers if waters went very low," said Mr Grimes.
PETER GLEESON
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 12 September 2008
Steps being taken to convince commission of action on water
WATER QUALITY: IRELAND IS unlikely to be fined for non-compliance with regulations on waste water treatment plants, given the level of remedial action planned at six sites named in a European Court of Justice decision yesterday.
However, urgent steps are being taken this week to convince the EU of the Republic’s determination to tackle infringements in relation to a further two EU directives, on drinking water quality and dangerous substances.
European Court of Justice decisions on both of these directives have already found against Ireland and both are at the stage where Ireland is at risk of being fined.
According to Minister for the Environment John Gormley, Ireland has made significant progress in persuading the EU that breaches in relation to the waste water directive were being addressed.
But persuading the EU that breaches of the drinking water directive and the dangerous substance directive were being addressed would be more difficult.
Responding to yesterday’s European Court decision which named breaches at Bray, Co Wicklow; Shanganagh, Co Dublin; Howth, Co Dublin; Sligo town; Tramore, Co Waterford, and Letterkenny, Co Donegal – Mr Gormley said Ireland was “already working” to address the deficiencies identified in the case.
He was “disappointed” these cases had gone so far, due to “mainly technical or legal difficulties”.
The EU Commission is to write to Mr Gormley next week, giving the State two weeks to respond with firm remedial proposals to avoid fines which could run to millions of euro a year.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
However, urgent steps are being taken this week to convince the EU of the Republic’s determination to tackle infringements in relation to a further two EU directives, on drinking water quality and dangerous substances.
European Court of Justice decisions on both of these directives have already found against Ireland and both are at the stage where Ireland is at risk of being fined.
According to Minister for the Environment John Gormley, Ireland has made significant progress in persuading the EU that breaches in relation to the waste water directive were being addressed.
But persuading the EU that breaches of the drinking water directive and the dangerous substance directive were being addressed would be more difficult.
Responding to yesterday’s European Court decision which named breaches at Bray, Co Wicklow; Shanganagh, Co Dublin; Howth, Co Dublin; Sligo town; Tramore, Co Waterford, and Letterkenny, Co Donegal – Mr Gormley said Ireland was “already working” to address the deficiencies identified in the case.
He was “disappointed” these cases had gone so far, due to “mainly technical or legal difficulties”.
The EU Commission is to write to Mr Gormley next week, giving the State two weeks to respond with firm remedial proposals to avoid fines which could run to millions of euro a year.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 16 May 2008
Council denies cover-up over contamination of Ennis water
THE ENNIS town engineer has denied that Clare County Council concealed information from the public in relation to the level of cryptosporidium in the Ennis water supply.
Tom Tiernan was commenting yesterday after it emerged through a Freedom of Information request from The Irish Times that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), had warned the council there was a risk of a cryptosporidium outbreak a month before two children contracted it.
The council decided not to make the EPA's concerns public and Mr Tiernan denied that the council had concealed information from the public. "We have been up front. Absolutely! We inform the public when we need to inform the public, and when we believe that it is appropriate," he said
Mr Tiernan added it was very difficult to emerge "squeaky clean" when deciding what level of information to release to the public.
"The council is liaising with the Health Service Executive [HSE] and the EPA on a continuing basis and we wouldn't have time to do anything else if we were telling the public about all our dealings with these bodies."
Mr Tiernan said a balance had to be struck between advising the public of any elevated risk and causing panic."There are enough people doing that and we try our best to keep councillors and the general public informed as best we can.
"When there is a change to the status quo or a deterioration in the water supply, we would notify the public in consultation with the HSE."
He said the water from the Ennis public water supply was safe to drink, particularly after the plant's treatment capacity increased by 25 per cent since March. "There is no question, but there has been significant improvement in the water quality and a significant reduction in the level of risk, but not the reduction you would have with the permanent plant when it becomes operational."
Before June 2006, Mr Tiernan added, when the temporary treatment plant became operational, there was no filtration of the water for cryptosporidium and no water was bypassing the temporary treatment plant for treatment for cryptosporidium.
"We haven't arrived at where we want to be yet. We are working towards compliance and we are taking this very seriously. I would expect that the council would be compliant over the next number of days as we are tweaking and optimising the additional capacity."
GORDON DEEGAN
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tom Tiernan was commenting yesterday after it emerged through a Freedom of Information request from The Irish Times that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), had warned the council there was a risk of a cryptosporidium outbreak a month before two children contracted it.
The council decided not to make the EPA's concerns public and Mr Tiernan denied that the council had concealed information from the public. "We have been up front. Absolutely! We inform the public when we need to inform the public, and when we believe that it is appropriate," he said
Mr Tiernan added it was very difficult to emerge "squeaky clean" when deciding what level of information to release to the public.
"The council is liaising with the Health Service Executive [HSE] and the EPA on a continuing basis and we wouldn't have time to do anything else if we were telling the public about all our dealings with these bodies."
Mr Tiernan said a balance had to be struck between advising the public of any elevated risk and causing panic."There are enough people doing that and we try our best to keep councillors and the general public informed as best we can.
"When there is a change to the status quo or a deterioration in the water supply, we would notify the public in consultation with the HSE."
He said the water from the Ennis public water supply was safe to drink, particularly after the plant's treatment capacity increased by 25 per cent since March. "There is no question, but there has been significant improvement in the water quality and a significant reduction in the level of risk, but not the reduction you would have with the permanent plant when it becomes operational."
Before June 2006, Mr Tiernan added, when the temporary treatment plant became operational, there was no filtration of the water for cryptosporidium and no water was bypassing the temporary treatment plant for treatment for cryptosporidium.
"We haven't arrived at where we want to be yet. We are working towards compliance and we are taking this very seriously. I would expect that the council would be compliant over the next number of days as we are tweaking and optimising the additional capacity."
GORDON DEEGAN
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Fluid state: the west and water
Ireland may already be subject to substantial EU fines for breaches of existing water-quality legislation. However, if development continues at even a fraction of the current pace, a lot more damage could be done before an EU "good status" deadline comes into effect in 2015.
This is not some politician speaking - it's the underlying message in a new State-funded publication. Water Matters, issued by seven local authorities in the Western River Basin District (WRBD), identifies pollution, physical modification of waterways and abstraction of unsustainable amounts of water as being among the main issues affecting quality.
The western river basin covers about one-fifth of the State, with a land area spanning almost 12,000sq km, a 2,700km coastline and a further 4,683sq km of marine waters. The region has more than 5,600 lakes, ranging from less than a hectare to the largest, Lough Corrib, which measures 165sq km.
Galway city's growth rate is putting serious strain on these resources and on waste-water treatment needs.
Efforts by local authorities to recognise this are likely to be subject to political pressure, however. Galway County Council has refused to allow any more home connections to the mid-Galway water scheme.
Fine Gael TD Paul Connaughton says "hundreds of young couples" are being prevented from building homes on family land because of this, while the Luimnagh (Tuam) waterworks supplying this area is being diverted, in part to meet the crisis in Galway city.
The WRBD is seeking public comments over the next six months in response to the publication, which is available at www.westernrbd.ie or through the WRBD project office in Liosban, Galway, 091-746804.
© 2007 The Irish Times
This is not some politician speaking - it's the underlying message in a new State-funded publication. Water Matters, issued by seven local authorities in the Western River Basin District (WRBD), identifies pollution, physical modification of waterways and abstraction of unsustainable amounts of water as being among the main issues affecting quality.
The western river basin covers about one-fifth of the State, with a land area spanning almost 12,000sq km, a 2,700km coastline and a further 4,683sq km of marine waters. The region has more than 5,600 lakes, ranging from less than a hectare to the largest, Lough Corrib, which measures 165sq km.
Galway city's growth rate is putting serious strain on these resources and on waste-water treatment needs.
Efforts by local authorities to recognise this are likely to be subject to political pressure, however. Galway County Council has refused to allow any more home connections to the mid-Galway water scheme.
Fine Gael TD Paul Connaughton says "hundreds of young couples" are being prevented from building homes on family land because of this, while the Luimnagh (Tuam) waterworks supplying this area is being diverted, in part to meet the crisis in Galway city.
The WRBD is seeking public comments over the next six months in response to the publication, which is available at www.westernrbd.ie or through the WRBD project office in Liosban, Galway, 091-746804.
© 2007 The Irish Times
North Sligo’s water ‘worse than in Africa’
THE public water supply in the north Sligo area is now worse than it is in parts of Africa for where appeals for funds to provide clean water are now being run, it has been claimed.
An illustration of the poor quality of water in the area is that a machine in Grange supplying a filtered supply can no longer handle it.
The machine at the local Londis supermarket and filling station gave people a cheaper alternative to bottled water, which many people are now using regularly for drinking instead of the public supply.
The machine filters the public water supply and you can buy five litres of filtered water for €1.20. On the first occasion you used you get a free container which you then reuse.
However, having had to turn it off on several occasions because of problems caused by the poor quality of the public water supply, owner Kevin Lowe is now installing a second filter, which will filter the water before it goes into the filter machine.
He said he was talking to the sup-pliers of the machine Crystal Clear to install the new filter at a cost of •1,000. He is also looking at installing a special filter for all the water coming into his premises at a cost of •1,200.
One north Sligo resident who has been a regular user of the machine is David Large from Maugherow. He worked in Africa for a number of years and said that the water supply was not as bad there as it is here now.
“I see Trocaire running appeals for funds to provide clean water for children in Africa but the time is coming when we will be running appeals to provide clean water for children here.
“When I was in Africa the water was never as bad as it is here. There are very high levels of iron in the water and too much iron is bad for you.”
He said he felt particularly sorry for older people who don’t have transport and can’t go and buy bottled water as easily.
© Sligo Weekender
An illustration of the poor quality of water in the area is that a machine in Grange supplying a filtered supply can no longer handle it.
The machine at the local Londis supermarket and filling station gave people a cheaper alternative to bottled water, which many people are now using regularly for drinking instead of the public supply.
The machine filters the public water supply and you can buy five litres of filtered water for €1.20. On the first occasion you used you get a free container which you then reuse.
However, having had to turn it off on several occasions because of problems caused by the poor quality of the public water supply, owner Kevin Lowe is now installing a second filter, which will filter the water before it goes into the filter machine.
He said he was talking to the sup-pliers of the machine Crystal Clear to install the new filter at a cost of •1,000. He is also looking at installing a special filter for all the water coming into his premises at a cost of •1,200.
One north Sligo resident who has been a regular user of the machine is David Large from Maugherow. He worked in Africa for a number of years and said that the water supply was not as bad there as it is here now.
“I see Trocaire running appeals for funds to provide clean water for children in Africa but the time is coming when we will be running appeals to provide clean water for children here.
“When I was in Africa the water was never as bad as it is here. There are very high levels of iron in the water and too much iron is bad for you.”
He said he felt particularly sorry for older people who don’t have transport and can’t go and buy bottled water as easily.
© Sligo Weekender
Sunday, 22 July 2007
National Water Summit
There are huge developments in motion for one of Ireland's most important natural resources.
With the National Development Plan 2007-2013 including an unprecedented €4.7 billion investment in water - as well as significant private investment - there are major issues and challenges to be addressed regarding the necessary infrastructure, treatment and planning for future capital projects.
With this in mind, The Sunday Business Post and conference partner, iQuest will host The National Water Summit on 2-3 October 2007 at Croke Park, Dublin.
The agenda this year examines how regulation will shape long and short-term strategy. The industry's approach for optimal infrastructure solutions will be explored - as well as our need for increasingly sophisticated infrastructure for treatment and distribution. Current and future solutions for pollution, pathogens, monitoring and control will be examined.
The Conference will also be looking at international programmes and best industry practice, as well as the future for metering projects, the role of the private sector and the areas of public works procurement and maintenance contracts.
With the National Development Plan 2007-2013 including an unprecedented €4.7 billion investment in water - as well as significant private investment - there are major issues and challenges to be addressed regarding the necessary infrastructure, treatment and planning for future capital projects.
With this in mind, The Sunday Business Post and conference partner, iQuest will host The National Water Summit on 2-3 October 2007 at Croke Park, Dublin.
The agenda this year examines how regulation will shape long and short-term strategy. The industry's approach for optimal infrastructure solutions will be explored - as well as our need for increasingly sophisticated infrastructure for treatment and distribution. Current and future solutions for pollution, pathogens, monitoring and control will be examined.
The Conference will also be looking at international programmes and best industry practice, as well as the future for metering projects, the role of the private sector and the areas of public works procurement and maintenance contracts.
Friday, 6 July 2007
Dublin warned over water proposal
Former minister Mary O'Rourke has warned Dublin City Council to take their "hands off our water" over a proposal to build a pipeline to extract water from the Shannon and Lough Ree to supply the capital.
Athlone-based Ms O'Rourke claimed the authorities would "ditch" the low-lying meadows around the town, which were special areas of conservation, "in favour of this rape of our waters", and would "leave us in an arid desert-like situation".
Minister of State for the Environment Tony Killeen said however that the proposal was one of a number of options from a study of long-term water needs for the greater Dublin area and "it is no more than that, a study option, and there is no related infrastructural proposal before the department for consideration or approval".
He added however that the study had concluded that "only two options, the Shannon or a desalination plant could technically meet" the requirement for an extra 300 million litres of water daily for the Dublin area by 2031.
Raising the issue on the adjournment of the Dáil, Ms O'Rourke (FF, Longford-Westmeath) said "the constant leakage of the Dublin waters . . . is not going to be corrected and yet they're going to, in cavalier fashion, take our water from us".
This would take away the region's source of tourism and its heritage, she believed. "The low-lying meadows around Athlone are special areas of conservation and yet they're willing to be apparently going to be ditched in favour of this rape our water."
She alleged that alternative sources of water supply "have been dismissed, including desalination, on the grounds that it would involve too high an energy cost. She said it was successfully used in other countries.
The proposal would affect counties Clare, Tipperary, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath, "but the main extraction will be from the Shannon area around Athlone and into Lough Ree."
In an angry outburst she said: "Dublin has everything . . . now they are going to take our water and leave us in an arid desert-like situation, which is what it will be." She added: "I would like to say to the Dublin City Council . . . 'hands off our water'! We need it for our own purposes."
She said there was a very large aquafer (water source) which was a viable option but "the largest dump in Europe" was going to be built right on top of the aquafer's source.
Marie O'Halloran
© 2007 The Irish Times
Athlone-based Ms O'Rourke claimed the authorities would "ditch" the low-lying meadows around the town, which were special areas of conservation, "in favour of this rape of our waters", and would "leave us in an arid desert-like situation".
Minister of State for the Environment Tony Killeen said however that the proposal was one of a number of options from a study of long-term water needs for the greater Dublin area and "it is no more than that, a study option, and there is no related infrastructural proposal before the department for consideration or approval".
He added however that the study had concluded that "only two options, the Shannon or a desalination plant could technically meet" the requirement for an extra 300 million litres of water daily for the Dublin area by 2031.
Raising the issue on the adjournment of the Dáil, Ms O'Rourke (FF, Longford-Westmeath) said "the constant leakage of the Dublin waters . . . is not going to be corrected and yet they're going to, in cavalier fashion, take our water from us".
This would take away the region's source of tourism and its heritage, she believed. "The low-lying meadows around Athlone are special areas of conservation and yet they're willing to be apparently going to be ditched in favour of this rape our water."
She alleged that alternative sources of water supply "have been dismissed, including desalination, on the grounds that it would involve too high an energy cost. She said it was successfully used in other countries.
The proposal would affect counties Clare, Tipperary, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath, "but the main extraction will be from the Shannon area around Athlone and into Lough Ree."
In an angry outburst she said: "Dublin has everything . . . now they are going to take our water and leave us in an arid desert-like situation, which is what it will be." She added: "I would like to say to the Dublin City Council . . . 'hands off our water'! We need it for our own purposes."
She said there was a very large aquafer (water source) which was a viable option but "the largest dump in Europe" was going to be built right on top of the aquafer's source.
Marie O'Halloran
© 2007 The Irish Times
Saturday, 30 June 2007
Dublin facing water shortage disaster
DUBLIN could be faced with a severe water shortage by 2050. And as a result, the capital may have to resort to water privatisation.
According to Dr Conor Murphy, a geography lecturer at NUI Maynooth, the capital will be the worst affected by the impact of global warming.
At present, Dublin relies heavily on rainfall - or surface-based resources - for its water supply.
If there is a large scale reduction in rainfall, this could have serious implications for that supply.
"The water supply of Dublin City is very vulnerable to climate change," said Dr Murphy.
"By 2050 we expected to see a 35pc reduction in the amount of surface water available and a population increase of 2.5 million."
"Both factors will have serious implications for Dublin, which relies heavily on surface based resources."
According to a 2003 EPA report conducted by Dr John Sweeney of NUI Maynooth, decreases in river, lake and reservoir levels are likely to occur over the next decade.
The report also pointed to dramatic changes in the rainfall pattern and temperature.
Winter rainfall will increase by up to 10pc while summer rainfall will decrease by up to 40pc in parts of the south and east coasts.
However, according to Dublin City Council, plans to carry out a feasibility study will not be expected until mid 2008.
According Dr Murphy, a twin-track approach is needed to stop the crisis or we will have to resort to water privatisation.
"Population growth coupled with climate change means that if this situation continues there is a real threat of privatisation."
Patricia McDonagh
Irish Independent
According to Dr Conor Murphy, a geography lecturer at NUI Maynooth, the capital will be the worst affected by the impact of global warming.
At present, Dublin relies heavily on rainfall - or surface-based resources - for its water supply.
If there is a large scale reduction in rainfall, this could have serious implications for that supply.
"The water supply of Dublin City is very vulnerable to climate change," said Dr Murphy.
"By 2050 we expected to see a 35pc reduction in the amount of surface water available and a population increase of 2.5 million."
"Both factors will have serious implications for Dublin, which relies heavily on surface based resources."
According to a 2003 EPA report conducted by Dr John Sweeney of NUI Maynooth, decreases in river, lake and reservoir levels are likely to occur over the next decade.
The report also pointed to dramatic changes in the rainfall pattern and temperature.
Winter rainfall will increase by up to 10pc while summer rainfall will decrease by up to 40pc in parts of the south and east coasts.
However, according to Dublin City Council, plans to carry out a feasibility study will not be expected until mid 2008.
According Dr Murphy, a twin-track approach is needed to stop the crisis or we will have to resort to water privatisation.
"Population growth coupled with climate change means that if this situation continues there is a real threat of privatisation."
Patricia McDonagh
Irish Independent
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Council faces court hearing over water contamination
GALWAY City Council faces prosecution over its failure to halt the drinking water contamination crisis that has affected 100,000 people in the county.
It would be the first time ever that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has brought such a prosecution.
Seven other councils have been issued with orders by the agency to clean up their contaminated tap water or face the prospect of a court appearance. Water in the city and county has been contaminated by the deadly cryptosporidium bug since last March.
Hundreds of people have required hospital treatment after becoming ill from the parasite which got into the tap water supply from Lough Corrib water that had been extracted at the Terryland plant.
The possibility of a prosecution moved closer last night after the council failed to meet a June 15 deadline to close the contaminated Terryland water plant and switch over to an alternative supply.
An EPA spokesperson said last night that the council could now feasibly be prosecuted.
However, the situation was being reviewed by the environment agency.
"We are considering our enforcement options." the spokesperson added.
The council has been told it must report to the EPA on a weekly basis on the progress being made to clean up the tap water.
The EPA spokesperson said that seven other councils with water contamination problems had received similar directions from the agency.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
It would be the first time ever that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has brought such a prosecution.
Seven other councils have been issued with orders by the agency to clean up their contaminated tap water or face the prospect of a court appearance. Water in the city and county has been contaminated by the deadly cryptosporidium bug since last March.
Hundreds of people have required hospital treatment after becoming ill from the parasite which got into the tap water supply from Lough Corrib water that had been extracted at the Terryland plant.
The possibility of a prosecution moved closer last night after the council failed to meet a June 15 deadline to close the contaminated Terryland water plant and switch over to an alternative supply.
An EPA spokesperson said last night that the council could now feasibly be prosecuted.
However, the situation was being reviewed by the environment agency.
"We are considering our enforcement options." the spokesperson added.
The council has been told it must report to the EPA on a weekly basis on the progress being made to clean up the tap water.
The EPA spokesperson said that seven other councils with water contamination problems had received similar directions from the agency.
Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
Friday, 15 June 2007
Councils to face the courts if EU water standards not met
COUNCILS will face prosecution through the courts and massive fines as stiff as €500,000 if they fail to maintain EU standards for drinking water.
Yesterday, outgoing environment minister Mr Dick Roche introduced revised regulations to provide for the increased penalties for contravention of drinking water regulations.
He said the increased penalty provisions are intended to be sufficiently dissuasive to ensure that they are effective.
Under the new regulations, county councils continue to be responsible for supervising group water schemes, and for monitoring all water supplies, including their own.
Local authority supplies are in turn supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency. Monitoring programmes are also subject to approval by the EPA, which is in turn required to supervise the performance by county councils of their monitoring functions.
“When I updated the drinking water regulations last March I indicated that additional provision would be made for increased penalties to reflect the potential serious consequences of offences under the regulations, as soon as the necessary legal authority became available. Following the recent enactment of the European Communities Act 2007, I am now in a position to fulfil this undertaking,” the minister said.
The new drinking water regulations provide, in addition to summary offences, for prosecution of offences on indictment. Maximum fines under the regulations will now be €500,000 following conviction on indictment, with related jails terms of up to three years.
“The monitoring and supervisory regimes provided for in the original regulations which I made last March continue to apply under these new regulations“, the minister said.
Failure to comply with requirements of the regulations or a direction issued by a supervisory authority under the regulations is an offence.
And a supervisory authority may now apply to the High Court for an injunction to direct the undertaking of a specific compliance requirement.
The regulations are an interim measure pending the implementation of the recently enacted Water Services Act in due course.
Mr Roche said the regulations place specific obligations on water suppliers to ensure that water supplies are wholesome and clean.
The new provisions have been developed in consultation with the EU Commission, the EPA and the Health Service Executive.
By Dan Collins
© Irish Examiner
Yesterday, outgoing environment minister Mr Dick Roche introduced revised regulations to provide for the increased penalties for contravention of drinking water regulations.
He said the increased penalty provisions are intended to be sufficiently dissuasive to ensure that they are effective.
Under the new regulations, county councils continue to be responsible for supervising group water schemes, and for monitoring all water supplies, including their own.
Local authority supplies are in turn supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency. Monitoring programmes are also subject to approval by the EPA, which is in turn required to supervise the performance by county councils of their monitoring functions.
“When I updated the drinking water regulations last March I indicated that additional provision would be made for increased penalties to reflect the potential serious consequences of offences under the regulations, as soon as the necessary legal authority became available. Following the recent enactment of the European Communities Act 2007, I am now in a position to fulfil this undertaking,” the minister said.
The new drinking water regulations provide, in addition to summary offences, for prosecution of offences on indictment. Maximum fines under the regulations will now be €500,000 following conviction on indictment, with related jails terms of up to three years.
“The monitoring and supervisory regimes provided for in the original regulations which I made last March continue to apply under these new regulations“, the minister said.
Failure to comply with requirements of the regulations or a direction issued by a supervisory authority under the regulations is an offence.
And a supervisory authority may now apply to the High Court for an injunction to direct the undertaking of a specific compliance requirement.
The regulations are an interim measure pending the implementation of the recently enacted Water Services Act in due course.
Mr Roche said the regulations place specific obligations on water suppliers to ensure that water supplies are wholesome and clean.
The new provisions have been developed in consultation with the EU Commission, the EPA and the Health Service Executive.
By Dan Collins
© Irish Examiner
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