Lough Talt water treatment plant works recommence
WORKS to upgrade the Lough Talt water treatment plant have recommenced and Irish Water, working in partnership with Sligo County Council, is confident that this essential project will be complete by the end of 2020. A safe and secure supply of water will be delivered to the 13,000 people on this scheme upon completion of these works.
While the upgrade works are continuing the public are reminded that the boil water notice on the scheme remains in place.
Approximately 13,000 people are affected by the boil water notice including the towns of Tubbercurry and Ballymote and a large rural hinterland including the villages of Annagh, Aclare, Curry, Lavagh, Ballanacarrow, Carrowneden, Kilmacteige and Coolaney.
The notice also includes consumers supplied by the Ogham Group Water Scheme and Cloontia, Doocastle and Quarryfield in Mayo.
The boil water notice is no longer in effect in the Bellaghy area following a connection which allowed this area to be supplied from the Charlestown public water supply. This connection removed 488 customers from the notice in Bellaghy, Sandyhill, Cloonaughill, Cully, the southern 80 per cent part of Bunnacrannagh, Brackloonagh, Brogher, Lissard, and Curryfuel.
The current Lough Talt water treatment plant does not provide adequate treatment for protection against cryptosporidium and needs to be upgraded. The risk of further detections remains high without a validated barrier against cryptosporidium. This can result in severe illness if the public do not boil their water before consumption.
Commenting, John McElwaine, Irish Water, explained: “Public health is our number one priority and it is imperative that people adhere to the boil water notice which remains in place. Irish Water is committed to safeguarding the treated water supplied from the Lough Talt Regional Water Supply for the future and would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience they are experiencing due to the current boil water notice.
“We would like to once again thank the public for their continued cooperation and patience while we work to deliver this much-needed upgrade which we are confident will be complete by the end of 2020.”
The HSE has advised that the tap water is safe to use for personal hygiene such as handwashing, bathing and flushing of toilets and the public is urged to continue frequent handwashing in line with HSE Covid-19 advice.