People in Lettermacaward are ‘sick to their back teeth’ with water issues - Cllr Noreen McGarvey

Boil water notices, water outages, lack of water supply across the Glenties Municipal District caused deep concern and consternation among councillors who gathered in Dungloe for their monthly meeting this morning. 

Calls were made for an emergency meeting to be held with Irish Water and to sit down with workers at plants as councillors tried to get to grips with the situation which has caused huge dismay to business owners and homeowners across the district. 

Fianna Fáil Councillor Noreen McGarvey said that areas from Portnoo to Dunfanaghy had been affected by water outages and boil notices. She said people in Lettermacaward are ‘sick to their back teeth’ with the situation and the issue could take up to two years to get resolved. 

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Cllr Michael McClafferty raised serious concerns in relation to the water supply plant in Ardsbeg. He said that there was only 40cms of water in the reservoir when he visited this week. The councillor said buttons at the plant were going on and off by themselves at the weekend and workers had to stay to monitor the situation.  The councillor said it would take 200 days to get a spare part that was needed for the plant. 

“This is scandalous and outrageous. Two hundred days before it can be replaced?” he said. 

Workers at the plant had to bypass issues to keep the plant going, he told councillors and officials.   

The meeting heard the plant was hit by lightning before Christmas. 

Sinn Féin Councillor Marie Therese Gallagher said it was important that councillors sit down with workers who had experience of working in the Lettermacaward plant. She said that she had been inundated with calls when there were issues relating to the plant during the Christmas period. 

“Our water is not for sale and it is not for privitisation,” she said.  

Sinn Féin Councillor John Shéamais Ó’Fearraigh said the people of Mín a’ Chladaigh and Glaise Chú deserve to have water the same as any other household. He said that businesses in the area were suffering and called for better communication between Irish Water and the people. 

Area Manager Michael McGarvey said that technical issues had arisen in Ardsbeg to which technical solutions had been found. 

“It was an unfortunate time of year and an awful disruption to business,” he said. 

He said work was being undertaken to address the situation. He added the Lettermacaward plant would be updated within two years.