Demand for water outstrips the supply-McGowan

Cllr Sean McGowan asked the council to call on Uisce Éireann to "immediately provide additional production capacity at the Water Treatment Plant in Carrick-on-Shannon." 
He said, "there has been huge pressure on the plant over the past couple of months with the supply having to be restricted at night to businesses, homeowners and farmers in the lead up to Christmas."

He added, "The supply from the treatment plant is unable to keep up with the demand. There are water schemes and homeowners who are constantly without mains water."

Cllr McGowan said that some households have been left without water for "days upon days".

He stressed that it was a "basic need for households and farmers and if we want to attract more business into the area, we have an unreliable water supply and need a proper supply. We just don't have the capacity here in Carrick; the demand far outstrips the supply so we need this and we need it urgently."

He noted that the council met with Uisce Éireann late last year and the national water utility recognised the issue but said that it has been going on for too long now. 

Cllr Paddy Farrell supported the motion, saying "there have been a lot of problems throughout the area and the water shortages create a lot of hardship for business people and farmers."

Cllr Brendan Barry also supported the motion and said there were "electrical issues at the plant before Christmas and 12 months ago" and "specialists had to come from Dublin to repair it."

He said before Christmas, "the power went off and then came back and surged and fried the boards" and said he would hope that "we can write to Uisce Éireann to see have they upgraded or changed that system and are we going to be in the same situation if there are power outages."

He said that the system should be upgraded to "make it more capable of withstanding surges."

Cllr Des Guckian supported the motion and said that council had to write Uisce Éireann and "demand reasons why such poor service is being provided."

Cllr Enda McGloin said the plan has a reach well beyond Carrick-on-Shannon and right into Ballinamore. 
"There have been numerous calls over the years for more industrial development in Leitrim and the fact the water supply is the way it is impacts on decision making in relation to investment in the county," he said, and and stated more pressure should be put on Uisce Éireann. 

 
Cllr Paddy O'Rourke said he knew of two families in the Ballinamore area who have not had a satisfactory water supply "practically ever, because the houses are in an elevated position and the first time there is any issue, they lose pressure and they lose the water altogether."

He said that the issues with water supply is likely to deter potential industrial development in the county.  

He said that the system has failed on a number of occasions and should be upgraded.