End to Banteer water woes finally in sight
RESIDENTS and business people in Banteer were handed a welcome festive present that will signal an end to the water woes they have had to endure over the past year.
This after Irish Water announced it had approved the first phase of a scheme that will see what a spokesperson described as a “significant” investment in the water supply network over the coming months.
The initial phase of the Banteer/Dromahane Regional Water Supply Scheme will include the construction of a new reservoir at the Poulgorm water treatment plant to ensure what Irish Water said would have the capacity to cater for a minimum 24-hour storage capacity.
Currently, there is no reservoir at the plant, which is served by a natural spring supported by a bored well. Irish Water has recently appointed a specialist team that will bring the new reservoir through the design process and onto to the planning application stage.
Other phases of the scheme will include the upgrading of existing smaller reservoirs and the laying of a new network of mains piping across the wider area.
News of the investment has been welcomed by local county councillor John Paul O’Shea (Ind), who said he was pleased that Irish Water had responded positively to calls for the upgrading of the local water supply scheme.
“I have raised this issue consistently with Irish Water over a period of months and in particular in recent months with regular breaks to the water supply ling homes and businesses without water. It has been apparent for quite some time that the existing supply system is not fit for purpose and clearly in need of major investment and restructuring,” said Cllr O’Shea.
“This will come as a great relief to the people of Banteer who have suffered considerably over the past year with severe disruption to their water supply.
Cllr O’Shea said that were it not for the diligence of county council staff over the past few weeks, the water supply problems encountered by the local community would have been a lot worse.
“I want to say a particular word of thanks to the local water curator, plumbing staff and the council’s entire water services team. Keeping the creaking network operational given its dilapidated condition has been no easy task,” he said.
“Their dedication has been evident at all times and I’m sure they, along with the community of Banteer, are all looking forward to the new infrastructure being put in place in the very near future”.