Irish Water pleased with progress of Sligo works

IRISH Water say work is progressing satisfactorily in Sligo.

The latest Environmental Protection Agencies ( EPA) Remedial Action List ( RAL) update shows where works are progressing in Co Sligo for the benefit of over 26,000 people whose water supplies are on the RAL while the list also points out that there are no boil water notices in place.

Two Sligo schemes are on the RAL for elevated levels of THMs.

THMs, or Trihalomethanes are chemicals formed by the reaction of naturally occurring dissolved organic material and chlorine which is used for disinfection in order to protect against pathogenic bacteria. Irish Water has put in place the first national THM plan and a prioritised programme of investment to address all inadequacies in drinking water parameters including THMs.

By 2021 the utility plans to reduce the number of schemes on the RAL to zero with an investment of € 327 million in upgrading water supplies at risk from THMs.

In order to remove the Lough Gill Regional Water Supply from the RAL Irish Water is progressing construction on the new Foxes Den Water Treatment Plant which involves significant upgrade and expansion of the facilities and which will provide a safe and sustainable water supply to over 13,000 people on the scheme. The works will facilitate the decommissioning of Cairns Hill Water Treatment Plant.

While the South Sligo Regional Water Supply has been removed from the RAL, consumers are now being supplied by the North Roscommon Regional Supply Scheme which is also on the RAL for THMs.

Irish Water is currently upgrading the North Roscommon Regional water supply scheme which will facilitate its removal from the RAL subject to approval of the EPA.

Irish Water announced an investment of € 1.9 million in the Lough Talt Regional Water Supply Scheme network last April.

This project involves the rehabilitation and replacement of 17km of water mains in Curry, Quarryfield, Killavel and Oldrock, with 24km of new polyethylene water mains to be located primarily on public roads.

This will reduce the need to extract and treat 5.3 million litres of water every month from Lough Talt, enough to fill more than two Olympic size swimming pools.

This project will benefit customers by strengthening and reinforcing the networks in these supply areas, reducing disruptions in supply and improving overall water quality.