There is great need to upgrade the drinking water plant in Macroom. The plant in the castle grounds supplies water from the Sullane river to over 4,100 people in Macroom and east around Carrigadrohid and Canovee. Boil water notices have been put in place in the area during each of the past three winters. This is due to turbidity in the water. This is not just a water quality issue. It is also heavily influenced by the older design of the plant. These boil water notices have been a constant source of difficulty for residents. They either have to buy bottled water or boil water before they use it. There is hassle associated with that, for example, not being able to brush one's teeth or wash a head of lettuce. These prolonged and repeated boil water notices also undermine confidence in Irish water supply. These notices are extending from four to five months at a time through the winter. Last winter, we saw the longest boil water notice so far at six months. That notice began as early as August, there was a brief reprieve for a week in September and then it was back to boiling the water again until February. These boil water notices involve a cost and create hassle for residents. I cannot over-emphasise that. As I said earlier, it is also heavily influenced by the older design of the treatment plant and the way it filters the water in particular. In recent winters, we found changing the filters typically leads to lifting the boil water notice. By the way, there are no consequences for Irish Water while a boil notice continues. It does not appear to act with any great urgency either. For example, a freedom of information request from late last year indicated its own technical staff recommended changing the filters as early as last autumn yet it was February before that was done and the boil water notice lifted. Locals carried the cost and the hassle in the meantime. Irish Water has known for some time that an upgrade on this plant is needed and it is down as part of its capital plan but it appears to be progressing very slowly and there is even a reluctance to share information. It had agreed to a meeting, for example, to discuss the situation last December which has been put off until later this month. There needs to be greater urgency by Irish Water in advancing this new drinking water plant, a plant that would provide reliable, clean drinking water to more than 4,100 people in the Macroom, Carrigadrohid and Canovee area. Macroom is a growing town especially after the bypass construction. New homes are under construction in Rás An Mhuilinn and in Meadowlands, for example. There is an upgrade under way in the wastewater treatment plant. There will be increased demand on the water network in the town as it grows. The drinking water plant needs to have capacity for future growth as well as the delivery of quality water. It needs to advance with urgency. The current situation is not fair on locals where there are prolonged boil water notices and the hassle and costs associated with that.

Sentiment score: 0.11

I thank the Minister of State for the update. I acknowledge the progress that has been made on the wastewater treatment plant and the works under way there. I will focus on the drinking water and the supply there and the hassle and associated cost for locals who have endured boil water notice after boil water notice each winter. It is essential that those works and the new plant be advanced as quickly as possible. It is positive to hear that the works will be quickly under way. It is unfortunate that it has to be raised here to get such an update. As I said earlier, it required freedom of information requests late last year to extract information from Irish Water. It was not forthcoming. It does not willingly share information. That is a big aspect of confidence and trust in its supply. That needs to move as quickly as possible. Is a contractor being lined up to carry out the works? Can Irish Water identify who that will be and how quickly they will be expected to be on the ground? We know this project has been on the capital programme for some time. If there is information that they are willing to share, we would be keen to get that. The sooner this new plant and the upgrade are in place for the benefit of the people of Carrigadrohid, Canovee and Macroom the better so that they do not have to face another winter of possible boil water notices.

Sentiment score: 0.22