Better water treatment for Kenmare

RISK of crytosporidium-related illness in the greater Kenmare area is to be lessened considerably under a €4.5 million investment that’s set to overhaul the water treatment plant in the town.

But a long-term solution to secure a water supply for the town into the future remains a major concern.

The project was announced last week by Irish Water and widely welcomed in the community in a plan that is set to upgrade the existing water treatment plant to make supply clean and safe.

At present, the treatment plant does not provide adequate treatment for the noxious bacteria cryptosporidium or the chemical group known as trihalomethanes (formed as the result of a reaction between chlorine and organic matter) with the risk to the community seeing Kenmare included on the Environmental Protection Agency’s remedial action list with years.

Irish Water - which is making the investment in partnership with Kerry County Council said that 2,200 people in the Kenmare area will benefit from safer and reliable water as a result. Work is to begin early in the New Year and will take roughly one year.

“The upgrades to the water treatment plant in Kenmare will address the water quality treatment deficiencies at Kenmare, which will enable the removal of 2,200 people from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Remedial Action List (RAL),” Regional Programme Lead with Irish Water Gerry O’Donnell said. “These works will provide a secure and sustainable supply of quality drinking water to Kenmare.”

A contract has been signed with Loughrea-based contractors Glan Agua to carry out the work at the plant.

Irish Water said that the long-term availability of water for the Kenmare area remains an issue, but that the agency will pursue a solution to this in ‘subsequent programmes’.