60,000 CONSUMERS LEFT WITH NO WATER FOR SIX FULL DAYS
CLOSE to 60,000 people in Louth and East Meath were left without water for almost a week following a burst pipe close to the Staleen Water Treatment Plan.
Tankers of water were brought in to fill the local resevoirs and water was supplied to various parts of a the town and region on a rotating basis for a number of days.
On Wednesday, Louth County Council on behalf of Irish Water completed a complex repair on the uniquely high pressured water main.
Still, by last weekend, a number of areas were still reporting low water pressure.
Irish Water said it mobilised its Crisis Management team and worked consistently since in partnership with Louth and Meath Councils to address the technical issues while doing everything possible to get water to communities, particularly vulnerable customers and to provide accurate information as far as possible.
It said that at the height of the outage, there were 20 tankers refreshing reservoirs; seven stand pipes; 10 stationery tankers; 63 Bulk Water Containers; 13 tankers filling the Bulk Water Containers; and 9 bowsers providing water for those affected.
At all times, the critical supply to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and the town centre was prioritised and maintained at all times.
Speaking about the incident, Managing Director of Irish Water Jerry Grant said: ‘It’s clear from the significant level of disruption and hardship endured by so many customers as a result of the burst that the replacement of this pipe must be a priority for Irish Water.
‘A detailed programme for complete replacement will take a number of weeks to finalise and we will need to undertake detailed planning and design work before we can be confident around the exact timeframe.
‘However, a preliminary view suggests a timeframe of 18 months and a budget of €23m will be needed to complete the work.
‘In addition the Staleen Water Treatment Plant is scheduled to commence a significant upgrade of the water treatment plant and pumping station in the coming months.’
They said they recognised the support they received from around the country.
‘We are grateful for all of the support, and a special mention must go to voluntary organisations, community groups, local elected representatives and individuals who gave so freely of their time to assist the more vulnerable in their localities.
‘None of this would have been possible without the professionalism, technical ability and commitment of the staff of the Louth and Meath County Councils who deserve great credit for the roles they played.’