Over 1,100 people in Clare have been removed from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Remedial Action List (RAL) following remedial works carried out by Irish Water to supplies in Mountshannon and Feakle.
This follows confirmation in recent weeks that there are currently no boil water notices in operation in the county after the Turlough water supply in North Clare was declared safe to drink having been in place since July 2016.
The water supplies in Mountshannon and Feakle are among 17 countrywide which have been removed from the updated RAL which was published last week. This is a result of work carried out by Irish Water to address inadequate disinfection at these water treatment plants.
It now means that there are five supplies in Co Clare remaining on the list. Two of these – Carron and Turlough – have had extensive remedial work carried out to address issues with inadequate disinfection with the result that Boil Water Notices that had been in place were removed in the past month. The remaining three are Corofin, Ennistymon and Kilkeedy.
Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection units have also been installed in Kilkeedy and it is hoped that this supply will be removed from the RAL in the coming months, subject to approval by the EPA.
Nationally Irish Water has adopted a prioritised programme of works which will require an investment of €2 billion by 2021. Significant improvements are being achieved year on year by this approach, including in Co Clare.
Speaking about the RAL and the ongoing work in Clare, Irish Water’s Regional Compliance Specialist, Deirdre O’Loughlin said: “The publication of the latest RAL update is a confirmation of the focus and dedication of Irish Water and Clare County Council in ensuring the delivery of clean and wholesome water in the county. We are delighted that Mountshannon and Feakle have been removed from the RAL and that there are now no boil water notices in effect in the county.” The Remedial Action List is updated quarterly by the EPA and Irish Water has a prioritised programme of investment for all schemes on the list. The current updated RAL showed a reduction from 108 to 99 schemes.