A cautious welcome has been given to an announcement by the Taoiseach that he’ll contact Irish Water in relation to supply issues in parts of West and North Clare.
Homes and businesses in the Miltown Malbay and surrounding areas were once again left without water this week following another burst in the trunk main, which dates back to the 1970’s and is in poor repair.
Irish Water has since confirmed that works aimed at addressing the ongoing issues will not be completed until early 2021, with areas most in need around the country being prioritised for works.
Yesterday in the Dáil, the Leo Varadkar committed to looking into the matter, but owner of the Old Bakehouse Restaurant in Miltown Malbay, Eddie Keane says permanent works are needed sooner rather than later.
Statement from Irish Water
Irish Water and Clare County Council have carried out a number of repairs to burst water mains in the Miltown Malbay area in recent weeks.
These bursts have occurred as a result of the age and poor condition of the water mains. When bursts occur we work with our partners in Clare County Council to carry out repairs and restore water as quickly as possible – generally within the same day.
However, it may take longer for normal supply to return for some customers at the ends of the network or on private groups water schemes which are supplied from the public water main.
As a longer term solution, we are currently progressing plans to replace a section of old water main between Miltown Malbay and Mullagh. This will be subject to funding availability and being on the top priority list of water mains for replacement.
In the interim, with our partners in Clare County Council we are examining a number of shorter term solutions to improve the water supply and reduce unplanned outages.
We understand the inconvenience and frustration caused by these supply disruptions and would like to assure people in the area that we are working as a matter of priority to resolve these issues.
Our focus at this time is to safeguard the health and well-being of staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of drinking water and wastewater service.
