250 Limerick households to benefit from €500,000 water scheme upgrade
A €500,000 water scheme improvement project will finally go ahead this autumn in east Limerick.
Contracts were signed last Friday between Caherline/Newtown Group Water Scheme Society, Limerick County Council and Earthworks Profiling Limited, who will carry out the works.
In 2008, the scheme's committee applied to upgrade a 5.5km section and it was due to begin in March 2009. However, funding from the Department of Environment didn't materialise until a weeks few ago with a j400,000 grant to Limerick County Council.
The committee had to help raise 15 per cent of the j470,000 contract, which comes to over €500,000 when you include the cost of early planning.
The entire scheme on the outskirts of Caherconlish supplies 250 houses and farms and covers 20kms.
Tom Piggott of Caherline / Newtown Group Water Scheme Society, said they were delighted that work was beginning.
"You couldn't continue it the way it was. We were fixing leaks nearly every day of the week. We plugged it as much we could, but if this wasn't done the scheme wouldn't be able to continue," said Mr Piggott.
The National Federation of Group Water Schemes said the usage of the scheme was 272 cubic meters per day in early 2009, but due to water wastage had increased by over a 100 to 378 cubic meters per day in recent times due to leaks.
"The group is paying 0.084c per cubic meter. The result is that the scheme was paying €3,249 for wasted water in 2009. There's a good share of farmers in it and if the scheme broke down they were in a terrible way," explained Mr Piggott.
He said the entire 20km scheme will benefit from upgrading the 5.5km section.
"This is the main artery, so if you got a break on one branch you can cut off that branch but the main artery will still be going," said Mr Piggott.
Michael Griffin, administrative officer in Limerick County Council's water services, said it was very important that this work was going ahead.
"This will guarantee a continuity of supply, pressure and reduce significantly any leaks that may have occurred in the past," said Mr Griffin.
The main stretch of work will go from Connolly's Cross, through Dunvullen and on to Newtown, as well as from Caherline National School to the Bog Cross.
"When you start laying watermains on public roads there are costs around traffic management – keeping traffic flowing. Five kms is a significant distance and you must reinstate the road to the previous standard. If you're laying that watermain through a greenfield site it would be a fraction of the cost," said Mr Griffin.
Deputy Dan Neville raised the delays due to the lack of funding from the Department of the Environment in the Dail earlier this year, but was refused his request for an Adjournment debate.
"I'm delighted contracts have been signed and work will commence on the scheme as quickly as possible." It’s a satisfactory conclusion to a long drawn out issue that should have been settled long ago. We were looking to have it commenced in the autumn and it is very welcome,” said Deputy Neville.
Mr Piggott thanked all in Caherline / Newtown Water Scheme Society who had worked on this project and deputies Neville and John Cregan.
Deputy Cregan said he had made strong representations to Environment Minister John Gormley and Junior Minister Michael Finneran on the issue.
“I could understand the committee’s frustration as they couldn’t keep it going for much longer. They had also collected a lot of money and people were asking them why isn’t it going ahead so it’s very good news,” said Deputy Cregan.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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