Irish Water promise to people of South Sligo
HOUSEHOLDERS in South Sligo should have clean drinking water by the end of the year according to Irish Water.
It has been over two years since householders and businesses have had a safe water supply.
Works to upgrade the Lough Talt water treatment plant have recommenced and Irish Water it will be completed by the end of 2020.
The Boil Water Notice for the scheme,in place since February 2018, remains.
The current Lough Talt water treatment plant does not provide adequate treatment for protection against cryptosporidium and needs to be upgraded. The risk of further detections remains high without a validated barrier against cryptosporidium.
This can result in severe illness if the public do not boil their water before consumption.
John McElwaine, Irish Water explained: “Public health is our number one priority and it is imperative that people adhere to the boil water notice which remains in place.
“Irish Water is committed to safeguarding the treated water supplied from the Lough Talt Regional Water Supply for the future and would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience they are experiencing due to the current boil water notice.
“We would like to once again thank the public for their continued cooperation and patience while we work to deliver this much-needed upgrade which we are confident will be complete by the end of 2020.”
Approximately 13,000 people are affected by the Boil Water Notice including the towns of Tubbercurry and Ballymote and a large rural hinterland including the villages of Annagh, Aclare, Curry, Lavagh, Ballanacarrow, Carrowneden, Kilmacteige and Coolaney.
The boil water notice also includes consumers supplied by the Ogham Group Water Scheme and Cloontia, Doocastle and Quarryfield in Co Mayo.
The boil water notice is no longer in effect in the Bellaghy area following a connection which allowed this area to be supplied from the Charlestown public water supply. This connection removed 488 customers from the boil water notice in Bellaghy, Sandyhill, Cloonaughill, Cully, the southern 80 per cent part of Bunnacrannagh, Brackloonagh, Brogher, Lissard, and Curryfuel.
Business customers will receive a 40 per cent rebate on the cost of the supply of water to their businesses for the duration of the boil water notice and this will be back dated to February 5, 2018.
The HSE has advised that tap water is safe to use for personal hygiene such as handwashing, bathing and flushing of toilets and the public is urged to continue frequent handwashing in line with HSE Covid-19 advice.