The infamous ‘water gate leak’ is sorted after nearly a year
IT WAS one of the longest running issues in Sunday’s Gate - even earning it the title of ‘ Water Gate’ - but finally, the infamous water leak has been sealed.
The issue was first reported last year and for months an area of the street was cordoned off, with water flowing down the road, seemingly never to stop.
Finally, the source of the problem was tackled last week and resolved.
But for council cathaoirleach, Paul Bell, it does leave a lot of questions to be answered.
He says thousands of gallons of water was lost over the last number of months.
‘I am relieved that the loss of water has finally been stopped. But in short I am grossly disappointed at the length of time in which it took Irish Water and their agents to source a leak having surveyed the public water pipe system and having caused so much disruption to traffic and the local community of Sunday’s Gate and Hardman’s Gardens”.
“If it wasn’t so serious it would indeed be funny. There was more investigations into Sunday’s Gate then there was into Watergate to find a leak which never actually existed in the public pipe system.
‘In recent days I requested that properties in close proximity to the road be inspected as a wall and footpath exhibited dampness. This hunch eventually led to the discovery of the leak and the eventual repairs when the source was discovered on private property. Unfortunately due to the nature of the leak it was not possible for the property owner to identify it”.
‘ The term thinking outside the box comes to mind and what I cannot understand is why when it was established that the pipe network under the road was declared sound, why it was not then considered to investigate other possible sources over an eight month period?’
He has also asked the council to reinstate the road in the area.