summer 2013 volume 15 issue 2 zoc delineation gets go ...magazine of the group water scheme sector a...

RRUURRAALL WWAATTEERR NNEEWWSSMagazine of the Group Water Scheme Sector

A recommendation thatRural Water Programmefunding be providedtowards the delineation ofdrinking water sourcecatchments has been adopt-ed by the Department of theEnvironment, Community& Local Government.Responding to the case

made by the NFGWS throughthe National Rural WaterServices Committee that accu-rate catchment mapping is a

vital first step in formulatingtargeted and effective sourceprotection strategies, a 5-yearprogramme has been agreedthat will see the completion ofzone of contribution (ZOC)delineation for some 290group water schemes that haveyet to complete such work.In simple terms, this project

will facilitate essential invest-ment in the most critical ele-ment of GWS infrastructure –the source. It will inform

schemes where their water iscoming from and (for thosewith groundwater sources)the direction that their wateris flowing.It will also point to particular

areas of vulnerability within acatchment so that informeddecisions can be made in rela-tion to possible protectivemeasures and future planning.

Pilot models adoptedThe ZOC delineation projectis modelled on pilot projects

completed through the Centrefor Freshwater Studies atDundalk Institute ofTechnology (surface catch-ments) and the GeologicalSurvey of Ireland (ground-water catchments).It is expected that the

NFGWS and these institutionswill have an ongoing role inorganising the work of thoseprofessionals who will com-plete the delineation work.

Continued on page 4

Summer 22001133 Volume 1155 Issue 22

In this issue:Page

Comment ........................................3Pesticides advice note issued byEPA ................................................3NFGWS welcomes ‘important source protection initiative’ ............4Chairperson seminars prove a success ............................................4Kilmeena school champions community water awareness..........6Septic tanks info campaign underway ........................................7

Federation submission to NitratesProgramme review..........................8Leitrim Co. Co. considers the future of 180 group schemes..........9

Comparison of water chargesacross local authorities and theGWS sector ..................................10

GWS invited to be part of research project ............................11

TCD study shines spotlight on contamination of well sources ....12

On the water front ......................13Water on the brain: reminiscences of a GWS activist ........................14

What’s new in the water industry..18Regional reports ........................19

ZOC delineation getsgo-ahead for fundingNFGWS welcomes ‘important source protection initiative’

Perched in an upland area on the lower slopes of Errigal mountain, the recently-completed water treatment plantsupplying Meenabool GWS in Co. Donegal includes sand filtration and chlorine disinfection. In an area of out-standing natural beauty, camouflaging has been used to ensure that the structures aren’t visible from a distance.

Rural Water News Summer 2013

2

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DisclaimerWhile every care has been taken to ensure that the informationcontained in this publication is up to date and correct, noresponsibility will be taken by the National Federation ofGroup Water Schemes for any error that might occur.While we are grateful for the support of our advertisers,

readers should note that inclusion of an advertisement does notimply any form of recommendation.We try to ensure the reliability of advertisers, but Rural

Water News cannot accept liability for the quality of goods andservices offered.

Rural Water News is published by the National Federationof Group Water Schemes. For further information, go towww.nfgws.ie or contact one of our offices: Monaghan(00-353-47-72766); Kiltimagh (00-353-94-9381802);Tuam (00-353-93-28712; Tullamore (00-353-57-9328068).

CommentWhile there may be cynicism at the seemingly endless andcostly events hosted by what might be termed a ‘conferencingindustry’, the educational and motivational potential of confer-ences and seminars that are designed by practitioners for prac-titioners cannot be undervalued. The recent highly successful EPA conference on water andwastewater is a case in point. This provided delegates withfood for thought on a range of issues addressed by experts whowere also fine speakers. Full marks to the organisers.For group water schemes, the annual Rural Water Conferenceorganised jointly by the Water Services Training Group andthe NFGWS is poised, yet again, to deliver a programme thatis both varied, interesting and informative (see page 32). As in recent years, the Board of the Federation is subsidisingthe attendance of delegates from affiliated schemes.You’d be mad to miss it!

***Leaving aside the direct criticism of Irish Water levelled by atleast one councillor, the points raised at a meeting of LeitrimCounty Council (page 9) on the future of publicly sourcedgroup water schemes must continue to be addressed, as anyuncertainty about the future of this large sector will onlyencourage further negativity and fear.

***Rural Water News makes no apologies for again highlightingthe excellent work being carried out by the pupils of StBrendan’s National School in Kilmeena in raising communityawareness about the value of water (page 6).As Mayo County Manager, Peter Hynes has pointed out, theexample being provided by this rural school could (andshould) be replicated in schools across Ireland.Since first completing the All About Water curriculum – inconjunction with their local group water scheme – StBrendan’s school has built up an extensive partnership net-work to promote the simple, yet powerful, message that wateris a resource worth respecting and protecting.The success of extra-curricular environmental awareness pro-grammes – as part of the wonderful Green Flags initiative inour primary schools – is down to having interested teachers anda supportive principal. St Brendan’s has both. We warmlyapplaud their efforts and we recommend their example to othereducationalists.

Water Well DrillingWater Quality Improvements at Source

One of the most important tasks for any group waterscheme is to consider the performance of yourgroundwater source in terms of quality and quantity. • Low-cost trial drilling can establish water supplyand water quality prior to developing productionwell/treatment system specification.

• Cement-sealed wells prevent shallow surface-waterentering a supply, reducing the risk of contamination.

• An inert uPVC casing/screen or stainless steelscreen with gravel packbetween screen sectionand open hole helps pre-vent the ingress of silt/sand into a water supply.

Contact the experienced pro-fessionals

Patrick Briody & Sons LtdBriody Aquadrill Services

The GroveRathangan, Co. Kildare

Tel. 045-524360 or 087-2589313Fax 045-524785Web:www.briodydrilling.com

Ireland’s EnvironmentalProtection agency (EPA)has issued a new advicenote (no. 13) to provideguidance to Water ServicesAuthorities (WSAs) wherepesticides have been detect-ed in drinking water and onthe actions that should betaken in such an event.While the number of drink-

ing water supplies with pesti-cide exceedances has beenlow, there has been a worry-ing increase in recent years.Through its advice note, the

EPA aims to minimise thepotential for entry of pesti-cides into water at source,through catchment protec-tion, rather than having toremove them via treatment

processes at the water treat-ment plant.Indeed, conventional treat-

ment processes used inIreland cannot remove pesti-cides, so this parameter has tobe dealt with by prevention.

EntryPesticides can enter surfaceor ground water bodies usedas sources for drinking watersupplies through direct appli-cation, run-off, spray drift,volatilisation or by seepingthrough the soil. They may also enter as

source point inputs from pes-ticide handling areas frommixing, filling, washing,spillage and leakage.Advice note no. 13 can be

accessed at www.epa.ie.

Pesticides advicenote issued by EPA


4

Continued from cover page Besides ensuring that a con-sistent approach is adopted,this will assist those experthydrogeologists and otherprofessionals involved byproviding them with a clearreporting framework.

SupportGrant aid at 85% up to amaximum cost of €3,000 canbe drawn down by schemestowards the professionalassessment and report. Thismeans that the maximumoutlay for a GWS should be€450, but those with relative-ly simple catchments areexpected to come in at less.As with other elements of

the RWP, funding will be

administered through thecounty councils and arrange-ments for draw-down arecurrently being finalised.Besides any financial out-

lay, this will be a two-wayprocess and schemes (assist-ed by NFGWS developmentofficers) will be expected tocollate as much informationas possible about theirsource in advance of theexpert arriving on site.In the case of boreholes,

for example, this willinclude any knowledge ofwhen the well was drilled,who drilled it and if there isa driller’s log available.Treated water records will

help in terms of physi-

cal/chemical knowledgeabout the source. As rawwater sampling may also be

necessary it is important thatschemes have an appropriatesampling point available.

NFGWS welcomes‘important sourceprotection initiative’

86 GWS chairpersons ofgroup water schemes tookthe opportunity to attendone of a series of fiveregional seminars organisedby the NFGWS in May.Arising out of last year’s

seminars for GWS managers,the seminars for chairpersonswere designed to provide aforum for discussion, wherethose at the helm of groupwater schemes could shareexperiences and learn fromone another.Responding to an ‘expres-

sions of interest’ circular, atotal of 119 GWS chairper-sons responded positively tothe idea of participating insuch seminars, with 72% indi-cating that they would preferevening meetings, rather thanmornings or afternoons.

Five venues were selectedon a regional basis with aview to accommodating asmany as possible within areasonable distance of theirhome base. NFGWS staff members

attended each seminar, facili-tating the discussions, note-taking during sub-group dis-cussions and acting asspokespersons to the generalgroup. Roles & responsibilities

Following a brief presenta-tion on the roles and responsi-bilities of the GWS board ofdirectors and the chairpersonin particular – and on theimportant relationship be-tween the GWS chairpersonand a manager – the overallgroup was broken into twodiscussion groups.

Each of these was asked toconsider 2 of 3 scenarios andto discuss how they wouldpropose addressing them, aschairperson.

Discussion Scenario 1• A GWS has shown anoperating loss in each ofthe past three years.

• Significant reserves havebeen built up.

• Water charges have notbeen increased.

• There is a reluctance onbehalf of the board to takeany action.

Discussion Scenario 2• You are made aware, con-fidentially, that a boardmember has facilitated anunauthorised water con-nection.

• The board member is veryactive in the group waterscheme and would generallybe considered to be animportant member of theboard.

Discussion Scenario 3• GWS accounts are show-ing an operating surplus ineach of the past three years.

• However the position isdistorted as the debtor fig-ure continues to rise.

• There are significantuncollected water charges.

• There is a reluctance onbehalf of the board to takeany action

Plenary sessionA report on the sub-groups’deliberations and findingswas presented at a plenarysession. A further generaldiscussion then took place onthe scenarios and on the find-ings of the smaller groups.Apart from the pre-deter-

mined scenarios, attendeesraised several other topicsamongst themselves, all per-taining to challenges facingGWS chairpersons.These and the overall find-

ings of the discussions willshortly be distributed to allparticipants.

Chairperson seminarsprove a success


5

ImportantWelcoming the provisionof financial support forZOC delineation, NFGWSchairperson and member ofthe NRWSC, BrendanO’Mahony described it as‘undoubtedly a very impor-tant source protection ini-tiative’ for the group waterscheme sector.Applauding the vision of

the Minister and hisDepartment in sanctioningthis funding in what is a verydifficult economic climate,he added that it is a ‘valu-able and enlightened invest-ment’, that will providegroup water schemes with‘a solid basis upon which tobuild sensible and defensi-ble source protectionstrategies’.

Above: Representatives of Kilkenny group schemes at an informationmeeting on the ZOC delineation project.Right: Shay O’Loughlin and Michael McNamee of Ballykillen GWS inOffaly taking borehole measurements as part of source data gathering.Facing page top: NFGWS and GSI personnel who met to draw up a list ofgroup schemes for which ZOC delineation can be completed this year. Facing page bottom: Several representatives of group schemes in NorthTipperary who attended a ZOC delineation information meeting.

Students from St Brendan’sNational School inKilmeena, outside ofWestport, County Mayo,rolled out the red carpet on27 June for the launch of anexceptional water researchand awareness project.Run in partnership with

Kilmeena GWS, Mayo Co.Co. and IRISH TV, the projecthas afforded the fifth and sixthclass students from StBrendan’s the opportunity toinform themselves and theircommunity about water con-servation and source protec-tion in their own locality.

Get involvedMore recently, TheConnaught Telegraph news-paper came on board, put-ting St Brendan’s forward asits entry in the Get Involvedcommunity initiative. Supported by the Regional

Newspapers Association ofIreland, this sees 51 localnewspapers championingcommunity projects in theirarea and vying for nationalhonours.The projects must demon-

strate a sustainable elementto them once completed. Anexpert panel of judges willevaluate the entries and win-ning projects will receivetheir awards from PresidentMichael D. Higgins inSeptember.

GuidanceUnder the guidance of SeánCorrigan, manager of thelocal group water scheme,Pierce O’Reilly from IRISHTV and school PrincipalMickey Carney, the studentshave conducted marketresearch projects and havepartaken in several field stud-ies, whilst also gaining avaluable insight into market-ing and media studies.

The project entitled ‘Whatwater means to us in our com-munity’ also saw severalexpert speakers come to theschool to inform the studentsabout water protection, con-servation and treatment.

Describing the project as‘both educational andinformative for the childrenat school, the communityaround the school and,indeed, for communities fur-ther afield’, St Brendan’s

National School Principal,Mickey Carney said. ‘The children are extremelyexcited about this project, aswater impacts on their every-day lives. With the groupwater scheme on ourdoorstep, it is a very impor-tant to support and promotethe importance of water inour community.’

EnthusiasmRemarking that ‘the studentsand entire school have showngreat enthusiasm for this proj-ect from the very beginning’,Seán Corrigan expressed con-fidence that ‘their endeavourswill have a major impact onthe entire community’. Mayo County Manager

Peter Hynes described theschool project as innovativeand pioneering stating ‘I thinkthis project has the potential tobe rolled out on a county andcountry basis’, while JoanneGrehan from the MayoCounty Enterprise Board said‘the project has huge implica-tions for sustaining and nurtur-ing local enterprise and inwardinvestment to Kilmeena andthe entire west Mayo region.


6

Kilmeena school championscommunity water awareness

Top: Visual images, including photographs and tv presentations are being used by the pupils of St Brendan’s, Kilmeena, tohighlight the value of water. Bottom: 5th and 6th class pupils with some of those who have been working with them as partof their project ‘What water means to us in our community’. Pics courtesy of The Connaught Telegraph


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An Engagement StrategyWorking Group has beenestablished to disseminatepublic information in relationto septic tanks.Chaired by the Local

Authorities and includingmembership from theDoECLG, the HSE and theEPA, this working group hasrecently published a series ofleaflets for general distributionto owners of individual waste-water treatment systems.These provide answers to

three questions:• Is our well at risk fromyour septic tank?

• What you need to knowabout your septic tank?

• What to expect from a sep-tic tank inspection?

A digital version of theleaflets is available fromwww.protectourwater.ie.

PlanThis information campaign ispart of the implementation ofthe National Inspection Plan2013 for the inspection ofseptic tanks. The plan uses two strands

to protect public health andthe environment. Throughthe mechanisms of citizenengagement strategies andDWWTS inspections, it aimsto ensure that:• adequate treatment ofdomestic waste water is inplace;

• treatment systems are ade-quately operated and main-tained;

• risks to human health andthe environment are identi-fied and managed;

• public awareness is raised;• information is available toowners of domestic waste

water treatment systemsregarding their responsibil-ities and how to operateand maintain their systems;

• information is supplied inmultiple, easy to under-stand formats such asleaflets, video and web-based ‘frequently askedquestions’;

• incentives are used such as alower probability of inspec-tions for registered sites.

Overall, the aim is to moveto a situation where a majorityof homeowners with domesticwastewater treatment systemsknow what to do to ensurethat their systems are welloperated and maintained andact voluntarily to achieve this.Further information and

advice for homeowners isavailable from your localauthority website, or on theEPA’s website at www.epa.ie.

Joe Crockett (Kilkenny County Council), with Margaret Keegan and GerO’Leary (EPA), displaying the new information leaflets on septic tanks.


8

In a submission that willform part of a review of theNitrates Action Programme(NAP) taking place thisyear, the NationalFederation of Group WaterSchemes has emphasisedthe need for more stringentprotection to be provided todrinking water sources andfor supports to be providedto appropriate farming prac-tices in sensitive areas with-in water supply catchments.The submission states as

follows:‘As the representative bodyfor the community-owned andcommunity-run drinkingwater sector, we have a par-ticular interest in assistingrural communities in the pro-tection of this valuableresource. ‘The points outlined areinformed by our concern thatthe maximum protection beprovided to drinking watersources and that a wholecatchment approach beadopted to that end. ‘The specific measures pro-posed are based on outcomesfrom the National SourceProtection Pilot Project, thefinal report of which can beobtained on our website(www.nfgws.ie). ‘The objective of all thesemeasures is to reduce and, ifpossible, eliminate nutri-ent/microbial run-off intodrinking water bodies.

RecommendationsWe recommend that incentivesbe provided towards encour-aging agricultural enterprisesthat are suited to particulartopographic/hydrologicalconditions. Where a farmenterprise is of a nature or ofa scale that is unsuited tothose conditions and where

mitigation measures areunlikely to be effective, a cost-free advisory service shouldbe provided to the farmer toexplore alternative enterpris-es. Positive considerationshould also be given towardsproviding financial assistancefor set-up costs associatedwith such alternative enter-prises.

Soil samplingWe recommend that soil sam-pling be a prerequisite onfields within drinking watercatchments on which it isintended to spread organic orinorganic fertilisers and thatsuch soil sampling be repeat-ed every 5 years. Given theadditional financial burdenthat such soil sampling wouldmake on farmers, we furtherrecommend that it be fundedunder the CommonAgricultural Policy (CAP) oras part of a special agri-envi-ronmental scheme.Agri-environmental schemeWe recommend that such a

special agri-environmentalscheme be established (simi-lar to REPs and the AEOSscheme), whereby funds willbe provided to support bestfarming practice/appropriateremediation measures indrinking water sensitiveareas. This might include financialassistance towards planting ofappropriate, site suitableriparian strips, erecting stock-proof fencing, providingdrinkers, farmyard improve-ments, or generally discour-aging land-spreading oforganic or inorganic fertilis-ers in fields bounding drains,streams, rivers, lakes, or inthose with karst featureswhere any of these are part ofa drinking water catchment.

Sloping fieldsWe recommend that specialadditional consideration begiven to the issue of slopingfields that bound water cours-es within drinking watercatchments. Here, construc-

tion of banks and ditches thatwill prevent run-off in stormconditions and will also act asnutrient sumps should be aprecondition of land-spread-ing. Here too, a special agri-environmental scheme mightprovide financial aid towardsconstructing and maintainingthese barriers to pollution.

Flood plainWe recommend that there beno land-spreading on floodplains within drinking watersource catchments, as the riskof run-off is especially high insuch areas. Farmers should be advisedthat flood plains alreadyreceive sufficient nutrientsduring flood events and thatland-spreading in such areasis not only a high risk pollut-ing activity but also a waste oftheir time and resources.Where possible, alternativeland-spreading areas shouldbe advised.

ConclusionIn conclusion, we feel that theabove measures, in addition toimproved co-ordinationbetween the relevant statutorystakeholders, are essential inresolving problems of nutrifi-cation and microbial pollutionof drinking water sources.

Federation submission toNitrates Programme review

The Federation’s submission to the review of the Nitrates Action Programme addresses the need for additionalmeasures to prevent nutrient run-off into water sources intended for human consumption.


9

Leitrim County Council considersthe future of 180 group schemes

(reprinted from The Leitrim Observer, 13 June)The County’s 180 groupwater schemes are facing anuncertain future, with majorchanges expected in theway they are subsidised andbilled.With new State Company

Irish Water, expected to takeover the running and admin-istration of water servicesfrom County Councils, con-cerns have been raised aboutthe future of Co. Leitrim’shuge GWS structure.While some have been

taken over by the Council inrecent years and will, as aresult, fall under the remit ofIrish Water when it comes tomaintenance and supply, thevast majority of our GWS’sare not in this situation andsome, acknowledged Directorof Service, John McGuinness,are already facing significant

administration, debt andmaintenance problems.Mr McGuinness said that it

was clear that Irish Waterwill not be taking overGWS’s. Those not takenover by the Council butattached to the public watersupply will likely be meteredand billed as a single entityby Irish Water, but, there areserious concerns about thefuture of schemes whicharen’t in this position.

ChargingThere is no question [but]that Irish Water will chargeschemes for usage recordedthrough its meters – includ-ing wastage as a result ofleaks – which could lead tosubstantial bills. Problems could also arise

where a scheme feeds intoanother scheme and the issue

of how they will be billedneeds to resolved.

DeterminedMr McGuinness toldMonday’s Council meetingthat the Council is deter-mined to make GWS’s awareof the possible implicationsof the change to Irish Water:“We have to develop arationale to deal with thiswhere firstly we identifywhich schemes wish to betaken over by the Council. “We then have to look atwhether the schemes are in acondition where we couldtake them over and we willthen look at their structuralimportance. The more struc-turally important schemeswill be taken over first,” hestressed.“We (the Council) simplywon’t be in a position to take

over all 180 schemes. We willbe continuing to be in contactwith Irish Water and theschemes, but those runningschemes need to be awarethat there are going to bechanges.”

DeterminedHe said that the Council alsodid not know if there wouldbe grant schemes in place infuture for the refurbishmentof GWS’s following thetransfer of services to IrishWater (IW). “This is a huge concern,” heacknowledged, “some needsubstantial investment.”Councillors slammed Irish

Water for failing to clarifythe situation for GWS’s:“This is about water supply,it isn’t something that peoplecan do without,” said one.See Comment on page 3


10

The government proposes tointroduce domestic watercharges across public watersupplies following therecent establishment of anew national water utility,Irish Water. My research was to assess

the difference in watercharges and operation acrossschemes and also to comparecommercial water chargeswith those charged by localauthorities. As local authorities charge

for both water and waste-water, only the water elementof the charge was used forcomparison with GWScharges. A previous study of GWS

charges undertaken by BarryDeane in 2003 noted largevariation in water charges andit was thought valuable toassess whether this variationhas since been reduced.

The surveyIn March 2011 a total of 104group water schemes (92 pri-vately sourced and 12 pub-licly sourced) across 18 coun-ties completed a detailed five-page questionnaire incorpo-rating questions on pricingand operation. The survey respondents

included both DBO and non-DBO schemes. The smallest participating

scheme had a total of 8 con-nections whilst the largesthad 1,449. Additionally, each of the 34

local authorities were contact-ed regarding their commercialwater pricing structures.

PricingAlmost 80% of the schemessurveyed incorporated one ofthree charging systems.Approximately 40% had

solely volumetric charging inplace, whilst flat rate chargeswere the next most prevalent(this is partly explained by thefact that 29 of the schemesthat responded wereunmetered). The third was amixture of both a standing andvolumetric charge. There was considerable

variation in volumetriccharges across schemes, thelowest charge being €0.22/m3and the highest at €2.10/m3. The average charge across

schemes was €0.76/m3. Thisis one third cheaper than theaverage water-only chargeacross local authorities at€1.17/m3.However, when comparing

standing charges, the averagestanding charge for commer-cial entities across groupschemes was higher, at€134.67 per annum, com-pared to €108.38 across localauthorities. A breakdown of the aver-

age, minimum and maximumconnection and standingcharges across each connec-tion type on the 104 schemessurveyed is displayed in thetable below.

Free domestic allowanceOf those that were metered,some 9 schemes were notproviding any free allowance,while 4 were providing themaximum 227m3 per year.The average annual freedomestic allowance acrossgroup schemes was 95m3. Each of the 34 local author-

ities provides a freeallowance where a domesticpremises also functions as abusiness. The averageallowed across local authori-ties is considerably higherthan on group schemes at190m3 per year.Billing and failure to pay

Regular billing can provideimportant feedback to cus-tomers and can assist in thedetection of leaks. Half of all local authorities

bill their customers on a quar-terly basis, with 35% billingtwice per year. In contrast, 75% of group

water schemes bill theirmembers on an annual basis,whilst 18% bill twice peryear. Only 7 of the schemesthat responded undertakequarterly billing. Encouragingly, 87% of

schemes that charge theirdomestic members on a volu-metric basis send out a state-ment, even if the user has notexceeded their free allowance.

Schemes experience anaverage failure to pay rate ofonly 7%, with almost 40%stating that they do not expe-rience difficulty in collectingwater charges. In stark contrast, an average

of only 54% of water chargeswere collected by localauthorities in 2010.

Future outlookThe survey found thatschemes are expanding insize, with 68% reporting anincrease in membership overthe three previous years.Furthermore, 85% of

schemes wish to remain andoperate into the future andwith volumetric charges cur-rently over one third lowerthan local authority charges,there is a clear incentive forcommercial users to remainon a group water scheme.Similar to the findings of

Deane’s 2003 study, thereremains a strong variation inwater charges within andbetween both the drinkingwater supply sectors.

Comparison of water charges acrosslocal authorities and the GWS sector

by Jennifer Brady (Water Technology Research Group, Trinity College Dublin)

Connection Type House House & Land Commercialonly land only

Connection charges Average €1,689 €1,667 €1,105 €1,848Minimum €300 €300 €200 €400Maximum €8,000 €5,500 €3,000 €8,000

Annual standing charges Average €107 €136 €108 €135Minimum €20 €20 €10 €20Maximum €300 €350 €240 €250

Connection Type House House & Land Commercialonly land only

‘The average annual freedomestic allowanceacross group schemeswas 95m3.’

‘Schemes experience anaverage failure to payrate of only 7%, withalmost 40% stating thatthey do not experiencedifficulty in collectingwater charges.’


11

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A number of group waterschemes in the areabetween Tuam andClaregalway are beinginvited to participate in aresearch project that aims todevelop a practicalapproach to screening largevolumes of water for lowlevels of VTEC E.coli.Funded by the EPA, the

research is being conductedby the AntimicrobialResistance and MicrobialEcology (ARME) Groupfrom the School of Medicinein NUI Galway.

Screening for VTECWhile water is routinelymonitored for the presence

of E.coli, this is generallyperformed using commer-cial systems that are basedon examining a small vol-ume (100-1,000ml) sampletaken at a specific point intime.While this method allows

for high throughput and pro-vides assurance that the wateris microbiologically compli-ant, it may miss intermittentor low level E.coli contami-nation and provides no differ-entiation between varioustypes of E.coli that may be ofconcern, such as VTEC.ARME has developed a

method that addresses theseshortcomings and will

potentially assist in the earlyidentification of VTEC inIrish water supplies.

AccessProject leader, Dr DearbháileMorris explains that her teamwould welcome access toseveral GWS sources andtreated water supplies tofacilitate the screening oflarge volumes of water.

The project team will setup the rig, consisting of aseries of filters and a pump(see photograph below).To minimise disruption to

householders, treated waterscan be screened out of doors,where there is an outside tapavailable.The results of any analysis

will be provided to the GWS.

Dr Siobhán Kavanagh of ARME monitoring the rig that has been con-structed to help identify VTEC E.coli even at low level contamination.

GWS invited tobe part of

research project


12

A recent EPA-funded studyby researchers in the Deptof Civil, Structural andEnvironmental Engineer-ing, Trinity College Dublin,has shone a spotlight on theprimary risk factors that canresult in microbiologicalcontamination of privatewells in Ireland, whetherowned by individuals orgroup water schemes.As part of the study, a total

of 262 private wells spreadover six study areas weresampled for faecal contami-nants during the period April2008-November 2010. Additional data was record-

ed at each well and adjacentsite. This included detailssuch as:• the local hydrogeologicalsetting (e.g. bedrock type,subsoil thickness and per-meability, aquifer impor-tance and groundwater vul-nerability category)

• well type (borehole orhand-dug well)

• construction and design(materials, well chamberpresence, well depth, well-head cover presence, etc.)

• nearby contaminantsources (septic tanks, graz-ing animals, farmyards,landfills, surface waterbodies)

• local climate (rainfall andtemperature).

ResultsAlarmingly, 29.6% of sam-pled wells tested positive forE.coli, indicating that someform of (human or animal)faecal material had enteredthe well prior to sampling.Based upon proportions, it

emerged that shallow hand-dug wells are almost threetimes more likely to have E.

coli present than boreholes,indicating that both well depthand well design are importantfactors in well contamination. Surprisingly, the highest

levels of E.coli contamina-tion (44.2%) were found inan area classified as havinglow groundwater vulnerability(i.e. relatively thick layers oflow permeability subsoil).This suggests that a signifi-

cant pathway for contaminantentry to the well may be fromsurface run-off at the well-head, particularly after periodsof heavy rainfall. This problem may be exac-

erbated by the poor well-head

conditions found at manyprivate wells, including theabsence of an appropriatewell cover, or of a cementedseal between the surface lin-ing pipe and the boreholewall (annulus).

ModelA statistical model was devel-oped, with all collated risk fac-tors included. The primaryobjective of this model was topredict the presence orabsence of E. coli in privatewells located in diverse hydro-geological settings. The final model correctly

predicted approximately 85%of E.coli presence/absence.

The primary risk factors inthis model were: • Septic tank setback dis-tance (m) and gradient(wells located down gradientand

A recent test on a lake source after heavy rainfall has provid-ed striking evidence of the value of abstracting water fromclose to the surface in microbiologically-impacted sources. Lyubov Bragina of the Centre for Freshwater Studies at DkITtook three samples from Milltown Lake, Co. Monaghan, filter-ing them to see it there were any E.coli/faecal coliforms present. Apart from providing evidence that largescale contamination ofwater bodies will occur where there is landspreading followedby heavy rain, the tests also demonstrated the benefits of sun-light (natural UV) in improving the microbiological content ofwater closest to the surface and, by contrast, the poorer waterquality to be found below the area of sunlight/UV penetration.At depth 1 (immediately below the surface) there were 75E.coli CFU per 100 ml and 316 CFU of faecal coliforms. At depth 2 (84 cm below the surface) the results were similar,with 91 E.coli/335 faecal coliforms per 100ml.However, at depth 3 (213 cm below the surface) 1,038 E.coliwere detected, while the overall faecal coliforms were toonumerous to count.Apart from what this tells us about optimum abstraction levels,the real lesson is that there continues to be dreadful (and pre-ventable) pollution of surface waters from human activities.

***There is no doubting the ambition of the national meteringprogramme that is due to commence this month (July). AsMinister Hogan said in a recent (15 May) address on theissue, ‘the target of installing 27,000 meters a month for thethree year project is internationally unparalleled in ambition’.He added that the project is ‘similar in magnitude and ambi-tion to the Shannon hydroelectric scheme of the 1920s.’Anybody concerned about the dreadful waste of water inIreland will welcome this long-overdue initiative and musttrust that the quality of installation will not be sacrificedbecause of undue haste in its implementation.

***The pupils of Kilmeena conducted a very interesting survey toassess local knowledge about their drinking water supply andattitudes to paying for water.Some 210 questionnaires were returned out of approximately400 households on the scheme. The replies suggest that theprocess of building public awareness will require a sustainedeffort and a variety of approaches.Even on a group scheme that has enjoyed substantial publicityin local media over the past year, 30% of respondents wereunaware of the benefits of water conservation and a similarpercentage didn’t know the source of their water supply.On a positive note, however, 98% of respondents said thattheir group scheme represents value for money and that theywould rather pay more for the quality water supply and excel-lent service they now receive than go back to the days wherewater cost little or nothing, but quality and service were rela-tively poor.


13

On thewater front

by Brian MacDonald

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There was no apparentsource available inBallymacward, so all dis-cussion was futile until thatproblem was resolved. Frank Furey (an engineer

with Galway Co. Co.) cameup with the idea of sourcesharing with the neighbour-ing Castleblakeney groupscheme. There was an excel-lent well at Cloone in theCastleblakeney area which,he said, would be more thanadequate for both sides. I was instructed to write to

the Castleblakeney organiserseeking a meeting of the twocommittees to discuss thematter. I didn’t have long towait for a reply. This wasnot very promising, but ameeting was eventuallyagreed and a new faceappeared on the scene asorganiser, a namesake ofmine, Tom Kilgannon (RIP)who was Mr CastleblakeneyGWS from then on. He andI worked in close harmonyfor many years.A consulting engineer was

sought and, at the sugges-tion of Michael Kitt, TD, itwas agreed that the workshould be given to CharlieRabbitte, at the time work-ing with Galway HarbourAuthority. Ground levels had to be

taken, maps drawn, pipesizes calculated, pressuresestablished. It took many months

through 1969 to get an out-line of what was now beingconsidered a joint scheme,but it was confidently pre-dicted that water would beflowing in 1970. Then theroof fell in.

Unbelievably, the Cloonewell – supposedly such awonderful source – wentalmost dry. Embarrassingwasn’t the word for it.Frank Furey was crestfall-

en. Both committees wereperplexed; Castleblakeneyhad no obvious alternativesource, neither didBallymacward. I talked to some people in

the area about our dilemma.Among them was a localcouncil roads maintenanceman, Mick Brien fromWoodlawn. He, too, washoping to get water pipedinto his own home:‘And what about the riverdown near Ward’s where Iam taking readings for theCounty Council for the last10 years?’, he asked.

This was news to me. I hadnever heard any thing aboutit. Neither had Frank Fureywhen I went breathless tohim with this news. ‘I’llcheck it out’ he said. He didand found the V notch read-ings on the river east ofAlloon Bridge that showed asupply well in excess of theanticipated demand.

Pump houseSo where was the pumphouse to be built? ‘As nearas possible to the V notchon the river’, announced theengineer. So the pumphouse was built where itstands today on a site readilygiven by Paddy Joe Whyteand at no charge.Similar generosity was

shown by others; PaddyCarney of Ballymacward,

Michael Kelly of Whitepark,the Dempsey family ofMount hazel, each of whomhelped to make the scheme areality.The location of the pump

house has been questionedmany times since. At thetime we thought ourselveslucky to have found asource capable of supplyingthe scheme’s needs andneither the County Councilnor the Department wouldagree to its being placed far-ther back up stream. Itcould only be put at thenearest point at which thewater volume was known. There were other practical

issues also, such as having apump house where it couldbe accessed and serviced.Electricity also became a bigissue; Alloon had just singlephase power at the time.Because of the water schemedevelopment, the area wasincluded in the ESB pro-gramme of 3 phase power.


14

Water on the brainreminisences of a group water scheme activist

In the second extract from his memoir outlining 44 yearsinvolvement in the rural water sector, NFGWS ViceChairperson, Michael John Kilgannon describes some ofthe challenges that were overcome in getting a pipedwater supply to local homes.

Above: Michael John Kilgannon at the abstraction point from the river that would serve as a source for 40 years. Opposite page: The old pump house on a site donated by the landowner to the scheme free-of-charge.


15

FinanceOf course there was thematter of money. Fundingof the scheme was fromthree sources: (a) the localcontribution of £60 perhouse; (b) GovernmentSanitary Services Grant, (c)Supplementary Grant fromGalway County Council. In addition, there was local

voluntary input in terms ofphysical work and organisa-tion. Local Government esti-mates put a value on the lat-ter to show that the entireoperation was economic. Collecting the £60 per

house, while it took sometime, was eventually done.

ContractorGetting a contractor capableof doing the job was thenext issue. In consultationwith Ms Danelle in LocalGovernment, we becameaware of John Hynes GroupWaterworks Ltd who haddone several group schemesbut none in Galway. Tom Kilgannon and I

travelled to Moyne, CountyTipperary, to check out ascheme done by Hynes andCo. There we met twowomen who almost single-handedly had completed afine scheme. They weremade of stern stuff and gaveus useful advice about thecontractor, advice we hadreason to value as ourscheme progressed. Other journeys were to

Raharney, near Mullingar

to deal with the reservoirissue with Shay Murtagh,Wavin Pipes in Balbriggan,Holfeld Ltd Stillorgan, inconnection with pumps, andseveral runs to Dublin tothe Department of LocalGovernment … most of thisat our own expense. Tomand I enjoyed each other’scompany and regarded thejob as part work and partrecreation!Pipe laying began in July,

1971 and lasted for a year.Meantime a 100,000 gallonreservoir was built with alocal labour force directedby Shay Murtagh. This jobwas done by aB a l l y m a c w a r d -Castleblakeney work crew.There was tremendous

enthusiasm about the workand the new reservoir rapid-ly became a notable land-mark. The building of the pump

house in Paddy Whyte’sfield on the river bankenabled the two high outputpumps to be installed.House plumbing and land

water troughs were goingahead at the same time. Itwas a time of intensiveactivity. And, as always,there was the concern howwould it all work out, wouldit be a success and wouldwe have sufficient money tocover the cost? Regular committee meet-

ings were taking place.There were quite a few

doubting Thomases whowere sceptical. ‘Wise’ menspoke and they were listenedto: one such contributionwent as follows: Says he:‘I understand there’s goingto be 30 miles of pipe in thisscheme (the distance ofmain pipe provided for inthe design). Now, it’s 30miles from here to Galwayand if I poured a bucket ofwater into a pipe here howlong would it take to comeout in Galway?’ Some heads nodded in

agreement. And that wasnot the only one of suchabsurdities. But some lis-tened to such chat. We had our fair share of

rows to contend with andwe had our difficulties –delays in grant payments,deadlines not being met. A contentious issue was

about houses a long wayfrom the main pipe andwhat was to be done about

them. Later on the issue ofsufficient pressure arose.

LearningWe were all on a steeplearning curve as far aswater hydraulics was con-cerned. The truly amazingfact is that despite havingzero know-how in the prac-ticalities, we all becamequite well informed as thescheme progressed. The operation of the

scheme continued on seam-lessly from its construction.It became an endless sagaand is so to the present. I often think I must have

had water on the brain allmy life, since water hasbeen an issue with me for somany years. Yet, the scheme did suc-

ceed and has provided waterthroughout the area for 40years. Not bad for a bunch ofamateurs trying their hand ata new experience. Did we do it? Yes, we did!

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17

Finnegan InsuranceA company well known togroup water schemes and toreaders of this magazine,Finnegan Insurance BrokersLtd is celebrating the GoldenJubilee of the establishment ofits brokerage.Finnegans began insuringgroup schemes in 1970 andsince then has built up aclient base in every countywhere schemes operate. In all those years, its claimsexperience has been good,with just a small numberrelating to public liabilityand one or two in respect ofproperty damage.Over the years, FinneganInsurance Brokers Ltd hassucceeded in having premi-um rates reduced and thescope of cover improved. In a statement marking itsjubilee celebrations,Finnegans has remindedgroup schemes of the impor-tance of having adequateinsurance cover to protecttheir exposure to risk. Thisstates: ‘The basic cover required isEmployers and PublicLiability and ProductsLiability. These provideindemnity to officers andmembers against claims bythird parties for personalinjury or damage to property,caused by their alleged negli-gence. ‘Indemnity to CountyCouncils may be includedfree of charge. ‘Many group water schemeshave valuable property. It isessential that such propertyis insured in respect of fire,lightning, storm damage,flooding, explosion, burstpipes, theft etc. ‘Insurance cover for mechan-ical diggers owned by group

water schemes, can also bearranged. ‘In more recent times, groupwater schemes have beenadvised by their NationalFederation to consider avail-ing of Directors and OfficersInsurance. This protectsagainst legal actions takenagainst them for allegedwrongdoing in their capacityas directors or officers of ascheme.‘The employment practicessection of a policy protectsagainst claims made by anemployee of a group waterscheme, for whatever rea-son.’Concluding the statement,Finnegan Insurance has reit-erated its commitment to pro-viding ‘a fast and efficientservice’, adding that quota-tions and cover can bearranged by phone.

Patrick Briody & SonsIreland’s specialist drillingcontractors, Patrick Briody &Sons Ltd, are living up totheir logo “Leading byExample” yet again, havingtaken delivery of a custombuilt “EnvironmentalProtection System”.Manufactured by Mudslayer,USA, the unit comprises aportable mud cleaning, recy-cling and discharge solidsmanagement system. The track mountedMudslayer Limited AccessM350 is set up and levelledon its own independent jacksaway from the drilling rig. Patrick Briody & Sonsdrilling rigs are equipped todivert all discharge ground-water & solids through one ormore 6” bauer pipes from theprotruding steel liner to dis-charge groundwater to waste. To date the discharge of drill

water was displacing finesand silt material over a widearea in which the dischargedwater was dumped ... to theire of the site/land owner. More critically, this waterwas entering surface watercourses, with significantsolids & fines content caus-ing turbidity issues and envi-ronmental headaches to fish-eries, county councils andgroup schemes with surfaceabstraction sources downgradient of the drill dischargelocation. Management of dischargewater is more and more theresponsibility of the drillingcontractor, so an answer hadto be found to this problem.The Mudslayer LimitedAccess M350 is the answer:water is discharged by bauerpipe from the diverter systemat the top of the liner into ahydrocyclone at the top of theunit. This reduces the veloci-ty of the discharged water/solids and allows the shaleshaker principle – comprising

reducing mesh screens – tofilter out solids and fines/siltfrom the discharge waterdown to as little as 7 micronparticles. Flocculants can be added tothe discharge water whichwould practically clear it ofany residue.Picture the drill site nowusing the Mudslayer LimitedAccess M350; shakers whichdump all solids/fines materialin a tidy heap at one end ofthe unit and “cleaned” dis-charge water at the other endthat can be piped away fromthe drill location and dis-posed safely to enter the sur-face water course.For further information, con-tact Patrick Briody & SonsLtd, Rathangan, Co. Kildare045 524360, or view ourwebsite at:www.briodydrilling.com

PS This website is currentlybeing totally overhauled, sowatch this space for news ofthe relaunch!


18

What’s new in theWater Industry

(mainly as contributed by our advertisers)

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19

GalwayDECLG funding has beenapproved to upgrade the exist-ing treatment processes onthree of the schemes in thesecond Galway DBO bundle,as follows:Lydacan GWS treatmentplant is (subject to Part 8 plan-ning permission) to beupgraded to include coagula-tion, flocculation and sedi-mentation for enhanced con-taminant removal.Ballinabanaba GWS watertreatment plant upgrade is toinclude slow treatment plantstart-up and an automated run-to-waste system to minimise

high chemical concentrationsof colour, turbidity, iron andmanganese during each treat-ed water production run. CBC GWS – will be upgrad-ed to include additional aera-tion, coagulation, floccula-tion and sedimentation todeal with high concentrationsof colour, iron, manganeseand ammonia contaminants.

***Draft proposals to upgradeGallagh GWS treatment plantare being reviewed by theClient’s Representative.

***Glynsk Creggs GWS recentlyfinished installing AMR onall meters and telemetry onbulk meters, as well as GPSmapping all connections.Usage is now monitored on amore regular basis, so thatmembers get early warningof leakage.

***Esker GWS has taken the firststep in universal metering,having purchased meters for

their 50 (approx.) members.These will be installed bydirect labour, as all connec-tions are located off the publicroads and in private property.

***Good progress is being madein the taking-in-charge of pub-licly sourced GWS, with 8schemes having been formallytaken-in-charge since March:Castlelambert GWS, CarnmoreWest no. 1 GWS, Cloch a’Leachta GWS, Cormacuagh

GWS, Corofin BallintubberGWS, Derrydonnell GWS,Glann GWS and RateshArdour GWS.

***Tierneevin GWS committeeis making strenuous efforts todeal with periodic microbio-logical exceedances and(amongst other actions) hasappointed a consulting engi-neer to devise a robust treat-ment and monitoring systemfor their water supply.

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by Karen Carney,

Paul Connolly and Joe Gallagher

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Members of Tierneevin GWS committee are addressing periodic microbio-logical non-compliance issues and hope to complete an upgrade shortly.


20

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***Carrowmore ClostokenGWS, a new publiclysourced scheme, has beenconnected to the LoughreaRegional Water Supply.

***The recent appointment ofSeán Corrigan as part-timemanager of Leitir Uí MealláinGWS has been welcomed bythe local committee.Mr Corrigan was appointed toassist with the developmentand implementation of appro-priate management, adminis-tration and maintenancestructures for the scheme andwill hold the position for a 3to 6-month period.

***A recent Special GeneralMeeting of Abbey KylemoreGWS voted to adopt the newModel Co-operative Rules.

***Caherlea GWS – a 21-housescheme near Tuam – hasrecently set up as a new co-operative.

***

Upgrade works are welladvanced on Kilchreest GWS.The approved works includeinstallation of a validated dutyand standby UV reactor andUVI monitor as well as a tur-bidity monitor and dial outalarm system.In addition, the schemesecured funding to properlyseal its borehole and to erectsafety fencing on its reservoir.Repair or replacement of acontinuous chlorine monitoron the network is also planned.

***Nine schemes were repre-sented at a meeting of theGalway DBO bundle 1Liaison MonitoringCommittee on 16 May. Thenext LMC meeting for DBO1 is scheduled for 27 August.

***DBO bundle 2 met on 9 May,with 12 schemes in atten-dance. The next DBO bundle2 LMC meeting is scheduledfor 8 August.

***

A blessing took place of thePeterswell Castledaly GWStreatment plant on 13 June.Julian Drapiewski of GlanAgua Ltd led those in atten-dance on a tour of the facili-ty, explaining the treatmentprocesses. NFGWS development offi-cer, Karen Carney compli-mented the committee ontheir hard work over the lastnumber of years and said thatthe members should be proudof what they have achieved.

Some of those who attended the recent blessing cermenony at Peterswell/Castledaly GWS water treatment plant.


21

Leitrim:Snag items identified by theResident Engineer on Sliabhan Iarainn GWS have nowalmost all been addressed. Thescheme recently met with thecivil contractor, the CountyCouncil and with engineers toevaluate progress.The GWS manager has suc-ceeded in bringing each ofthe three individual GWSthat formed the Sliabh anIarainn GWS amalgamationup to a common standard. Allmembers are now on a levelcharging system.

MayoSeveral meetings have takenplace with Aecom (DBOoperator for Mayo bundle 1)in recent months at whichproposed upgrades to thetreatment processes at severalplants were considered.The need for such upgradesarises from major variationsin raw water quality on sever-al sources, while issues relat-ing to THMs and severemembrane deterioration arealso being addressed.It is hoped that firm proposalswill be available within thenext 4 to 6 weeks for consid-eration by the DECLG andby the group water schemesinvolved.

***Work to address structuralissues on several treatmentplants in bundle 1 are nearingcompletion.

***Installation of an attenuationtank to deal with the back-wash from the treatmentplant at Lough Carra GWShas been completed.

***The Design Build phase ofDBO bundle 2 is now almostcomplete, with only snaggingissues to be addressed onthree of the plants.

***Secondary chlorination isbeing installed on a secondreservoir on the PBKSscheme.

***A raw water sampling pro-gramme is being carried outon Clew Bay GWS’s oldCuilmore source on theSkerdagh river. This is toestablish if lower colour val-ues could be achieved byblending waters from theold and new sources duringperiods of heavy rainfall.Issues relating to elevatedcolour over extended periodsduring heavy rainfall havebeen highlighted by theDBO contractor.

***The Liaison MonitoringCommittee for DBO bundle2 was held recently. Thesmall attendance may havebeen related to the recentspell of fine weather.

***A fresh water pearl musselsurvey was completed recent-ly on a section of the RiverMoy at a point where an exist-ing main is due to be replaced.This is part of the interconect-ing pipework on Callow LakeGWS which supplies theMeelick and Bohola areas. Itis hoped that this section ofmain can be replaced over thesummer months.

***Tender documents are beingprepared for advance con-tract no. 5. This will includeconstruction of an intercon-necting water main betweenClew Bay GWS andBuckagh Furnace GWS.Work on this should com-mence in early Autumn.

***Carha GWS has been con-nected to a public main and isnow getting water from theBallina Regional Supply.

***Tenders for the upgrade ofAttymass GWS will be soughtin the near future. This is wel-come news for the people ofthe area.

***An Eirgrid proposal to erectpylons in the Swinford areahas caused concern amongst

Killaturley GWS committeemembers that their springsource might be negativelyimpacted if the pylons arelocated within their zone ofcontribution (ZOC).The committee raised its con-cerns at a recent meeting with

Alan McHugh of Eirgrid andhas been working closely withhydrogeologist Coran Kellyof Tobins ConsultingEngineeers in actively investi-gating the ZOC and conduct-ing relevant ground watertesting.

Representatives of Laghta GWS, with Aecom staff and Paul Connolly ofthe NFGWS, pictured during a Quality Assurance site visit on 13 April.This scheme is very well managed and uses the NFGWS QA system togood effect. What was also noted during the visit to Laghta and to nearbyDrummin GWS was the very high standard of maintenance on the DBOtreatment plants, for which great credit is due to the Aecom staff involved.

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RoscommonA recent Rural WaterMonitoring Committee meet-ing heard that funding hasbeen granted by the DECLGtowards upgrading work onthe treatment plants in theDBO bundle to address majorvariations in raw watercolour and turbidity follow-ing heavy rainfall. Planning permission hasbeen secured for the pro-posed upgrading works.Construction will commenceshortly and is due to be com-pleted in about 12 weeks.

***Five schemes have securedfunding for critical mainsreplacement: Mid Roscommon GWS,Oran Ballintubber GWS,Corracreigh GWS, PollacatSprings GWS andCastlestrange GWS.

***Four publicly sourcedschemes are to be taken-in-charge this year: LowtownGWS, Baravalley Carrigheen

GWS, Woodmount GWS andCulleen GWS.

***Pollacat GWS is in the processof purchasing some groundaround its source, both as asource protection measure andas a site upon which a newtreatment process can beaccommodated. Planning willhave to be applied for in rela-tion to this upgrade, as itinvolves a change to the origi-nal design.

***At the most recent LiaisonMonitoring Committee meet-ing, DBO service provider,Glan Agua Ltd, explained thatimprovement works will becompleted at the Carnalassonsource (on Mid RoscommonGWS) during the upgrading ofthe water treatment plants. Ongoing group scheme con-cerns in relation to the infor-mation available on theSCADA system and, especial-ly, from the bulk meters are tobe addressed before the nextLMC meeting.

***Brusna GWS expects to carryout repair works on its leakingreservoir in the coming weeks.Serious leakage at the base ofthe tank has been costly interms of water loss and exces-sive (and unnecessary) elec-tricity charges from pumping.

***Peake Mantua GWS rawwater source has tested posi-tive for Cryptosporidium. The GWS committee wants toinstall a robust UV system thatwill be alarmed and give con-tinuous readings. Committee members alsohope to install an effective fil-tration system to removecolour in advance of UV treat-ment, as colour can be highafter heavy rainfall. The committee is workingclosely with Roscommon Co.Co. on its upgrade plan.

SligoThe County Council andgroup schemes in the SouthEast DBO bundle having been

working hard in recent monthsto have long-standing boilwater notices lifted. Noticeson the Corrick, Keash andCastlebaldwin schemes havenow been lifted and extensivetesting programmes are inplace to ensure water safety.

***Sligo secured funding underthis year’s Rural WaterProgramme allocations toinstall Cryptosporidium barri-ers in the Sligo South Eastbundle. It is hoped that thenecessary works (mainly UVinstallation) will proceedsoon. Similar works havealready been carried out on theNorth West bundle.

***At recent LMC meetings forthe DBO bundles, corre-spondence relating toCapital Replacementarrangements and late pay-ments of invoices by someschemes was discussed.Concerns were expressed atthe tone and content of thiscorrespondence.


23

CarlowThe Rural Water MonitoringCommittee met in April todiscuss RWP expenditureduring 2012 and the budgetfor 2013. The county wasallocated a total of €295,000for GWS upgrade work underthe 2013 RWP.

***Ballyellen GWS has beenallocated funds towardsinstalling a nitrate removaltreatment process.

***€115,000 is being allocatedto Ballinabranna GWStowards water conservationworks, including installationof some telemetry on meters.

***St Mullins Parish GWS hasbeen allocated €150,000 tocomplete water conservationworks that commenced lastyear. The committee has iden-tified another section of criti-cal mains for replacement.

***Ballyloughan GWS is alsoconsidering a small upgradeto its pump house structure.

***An incident occurred on theBallinabranna scheme inJune which resulted in thetreatment plant failing topump water to the reservoir.Members were without waterfor several hours, but theDBO contractor (EPS Ltd)and the scheme workedtogether to resolve the issue.The contractor is makingarrangements to avoid suchan incident occurring again.

***Changes to the St MullinsParish GWS treatment plantare now complete and theseappear to have improved thetreatment process.

KildareThe Rural Water MonitoringCommittee met in April.

€50,000 was allocatedtowards water conservationworks in Gormanstown/Usk.The GWS is currently pump-ing water above the design ofits treatment plant, so thisfunding will be a great help inbringing the unaccounted forwater level down to an accept-able level.

***€100,000 was allocatedtowards the taking in charge ofpublicly sourced schemes andthe council intends progress-ing a number of these in 2013.

***An additional €50,000 wasallocated for new schemesand it is hoped that thismoney can be spent installinga new publicly sourced GWSin Lowtown, near Athy.

***Ballyroe GWS hopes to carryout some upgrading workslater this year, should fundingbe made available. Thescheme wants to meter allconnections and to replace asection of mains that has beenconsistently breaking due to

road traffic. The scheme hasappointed an engineer who iscurrently putting together aproposal for submission toKildare County Council.

KilkennyThe Rural Water MonitoringCommittee met in April toplan spending of the€250,000 allocated for GWSwater conservation works.There was disappointmentthat no funding has been pro-vided for water quality proj-ects in the county and thecommittee decided to resub-mit its priorities under thisheading to the Department inthe hope that funding mightbe made available for thesevital projects later in the year.

***Final account payments willbe made shortly for workscompleted in 2012 onAshglen Ballydonnell GWS,Annamult Ennisnag GWS andCuffesgrange GWS works.

***Funding for water conserva-tions works was allocated to

Dunmore GWS, HighrathGWS, Flagmount BrennanGWS Windgap GWS,Lavistown Park GWS andClifden GWS.

***The allocation of €100,000towards the takeover ofschemes will allow theNewtown Ballinearla GWSNo. 1 and No. 2 projects toproceed along withBishopslough West GWSand Jerpoint Church GWS.

***Dunmore GWS held a well-attended AGM in April. Thescheme hopes to progressPhase 2 of an upgrade on itsdistribution mains.

***Flagmount Brennan GWShas been allocated funds tocarry out further upgradingon its network. The schemealso hopes to install a tank toimprove chlorine contacttime before pumping waterinto supply. Having experienced somewater quality issues, the com-mittee hopes that the contacttank will help to significantlyreduce risks to their supply.

***The Disinfection and BasicFiltration training course washeld in April for 7 Kilkennyschemes that were unable toattend last year’s course.Participants found the coursevery informative and useful.

Leinster Regionby Barry Deane, Jean Gibson

& Joe Gallagher

Committee members of Tubbrid GWS, County Kilkenny at their pump house.

A Liaison MonitoringCommittee Meeting was heldin June for all schemes in theSouth Leinster DBO bundle.Four schemes are enteringyear six of their contracts andthere are some items of plantscheduled to be replaced.

DBO service provider, EPSLtd, will shortly write to eachscheme outlining the detail ofthis and the schemes will bemaking their application forcapital replacement fundingto their relevant statutoryauthority.

South Leinster DBO bundle


24

***There has been a slight delayin the construction of a pro-posed new scheme (MolassyGWS) near Callan, due to theinitial tenders coming backslightly higher than anticipat-ed. However it is hoped thatthis publicly sourced GWScan commence over the com-ing months.

***Newtown Ballinearla no. 1GWS held a membershipmeeting in May to informmembers that funding hasbeen allocated towards thepublicly sourced schemebeing taken in charge. An engineer is preparing adetailed design of the neces-sary works and it is hoped theproject can go to tender assoon as this is completed.

***Quality Assurance (QA) sitevisits were completed onClomantagh KillashulanGWS, Tubbrid Lower GWSand Parks Rathclevin GWSin May.

LaoisQA site visits were completedon the Heath GWS andAttanagh GWS in April. Bothschemes have carried outupgrades on their treatmentfacilities over the past numberof years and are operating to avery high standard. The Heath GWS (which sup-plies about 320 members) hasan excellent and well protect-ed spring source, but hopes toreplace the cover on its springin the near future. A part-time maintenance per-son implements most of thescheme’s QA measures. Water demand has dramati-cally reduced in recent years,due in large part to universalmetering and charging basedon usage, but also to the vigi-lance of the committee.

***Attanagh GWS – which hasabout 40 members – requestedtaking in charge several yearsago, but funding has not beenavailable since then to com-plete the necessary works.

In the interim, the committeehas been doing a great job.Two years ago a new boreholesource was developed and achlorination system installed.This is operated by the scheme. Since these upgrades therehave been no qualityexceedances. With increasedmonitoring of chlorine resid-ual levels on the networkusing the NFGWS QA sys-tem, the committee intendsfurther improving its manage-ment of the scheme.

***Laois FGWS met in May todiscuss road opening licences.This followed an earlier meet-ing between the NFGWS andthe County Council roads sec-tion at which it was announcedthat policy in regard to thisissue is currently under reviewand that the council is willingto consider input from theGWS sector.

***A refresher QA training coursefor Laois group schemes wasattended by 7 GWS.

LongfordThe following publiclysourced schemes will securepart of this year’s €290,000RWP allocation towards tak-ing-in-charge: Ballagh GWS,Killashee GWS, GowlanGWS, Clonturk GWS, Lisleano. 2 GWS, Kilcurry GWS,Foynes GWS andClonrollagh GWS.

***Water conservation worksare being progressed onCloontaghmore GWS, ElfeetGWS, Gurteen GWS,Drumacross GWS, GlenGWS, Granardkille GWSand Clooncolligan GWS.

***Clonmore Kilmore GWScompleted upgrading works totheir pump house recently,installing a continuous chlo-rine monitor and a duty andstandby disinfection system.These works were identifiedduring a recent QA visit car-ried out jointly by theNFGWS and Martin Smyth ofLongford County Council.

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LouthProposed RWP works underthe water conservation head-ing are to include:• Completion of reservoirrefurbishment works onTullyallen GWS.

• Completion of the commis-sioning of the new boredwell at the SheepgrangeGWS treatment plant site.

• Source protection works atMountain Park GWS, asrecommended in the Zoneof Contribution (ZOC)study completed last year.

• Installation of UV treat-ment & improvements totreatment plant building atGrangebellew GWS.

• Works at BallymakennyGWS, including improve-ments at pump house,chemical storage and pro-vision for stand-by power.

***The proposed new groupwater scheme (towards which€77,000 was allocated) isDunanny GWS. The alloca-tion will go towards estab-lishing a site for boreholeabstraction and for provisionof treatment.

***Drybridge/Waterunder GWSis investigating the possibilityof installing universal meter-ing on the scheme. Their 4th borehole is now infull operation.

***Distribution System Operation& Maintenance training washeld on 25 April. There were13 participants, representing 5Louth schemes.

MeathThe Wimbex project (wire-less automatic meter readingtechnology) is ongoing inMeath Hill GWS. A two dayvisit by project participants tothe scheme was held in April.This involved meetings andsite visits and was attendedby consortium members andscheme representatives. Also in attendance was thescheme contractor and JeanGibson, NFGWS. Development is ongoing withthe technology hardware andhopefully work will begin onthe ground later this summer.

***Kiltale GWS plans to fit somenew bulk meters on their dis-tribution network this year.

OffalyA recent meeting of the RuralWater MonitoringCommittee welcomed the€250,000 allocation towardswater conserva-tion/upgrading works ongroup schemes and the fur-ther €100,000 secured fortaking-in-charge of schemes. The meeting also welcomed

news that Offaly CountyCouncil has received ‘greatlyreduced’ prices for compli-ance monitoring on groupschemes. Many small schemeshave had difficulty paying fortesting and the new prices willmake it more affordable. On the issue of road openinglicences, group schemes areencouraged to send in to thecouncil a list of approvedcontractors that they proposeto use. It is important that anysuch contractors comply withall H&S requirements whencarrying out works on publicroads.

***Clareen GWS has com-menced improvements at itssource, including construc-tion of a sealed structure thatwill prevent any surfacewater entering. Clareen also plans to replace anumber of air valves and toinstall several of meters on thepipe network.

***Tubber GWS has been allo-cated funding towards replac-ing its existing reservoir. Theold reservoir was constructedover 30 years ago throughvoluntary labour and has nowbecome unsafe.

***Boher Leamonaghan GWSwill carry out water conserva-tion works on its network with

the installation of a number ofbulk meters located at strate-gic locations around their pipenetwork. Usage is quite high,even though the entire systemis metered and these metersare recorded regularly. Thebulk meters will help pinpointareas of water loss.

***Aghancon GWS will carryout source protection meas-ures this year. The scheme’sspring source is located in asloped field and, after heavyrainfall, surface water run-offcan enter it, causing colourand turbidity issues. The com-mittee proposes to create anarea around the source thatwill capture surface water anddrain it away completely fromthe spring. Aghancon is also installing anumber of scour valves andair valves to assist with imple-mentation of their qualityassurance system.

***Rath GWS is installing anumber of bulk meters toassist with water conservationand hopes to have these fittedwith telemetry. Scheme man-ager, Noel Lyons recently vis-ited a GWS in Roscommon tolook at a number of makesand models and this visit hashelped Rath decide on whatsystem to purchase.

***Leamore Leabeg GWS (pub-licly sourced) will lay 3km ofpiping as part of their taking-in-charge process. The GWSwill also complete works on asite that will no longer beneeded once the taking-in-charge is complete. This willbe restored to its original state,as agreed with the landowner. Valves, hydrants, meters andmarker posts will be installedon the new pipe. The scheme has made signifi-cant improvements in waterdemand management and alsoquality assurance implemen-tation over the past 2 years,due mainly to the hard workof Moira Dunne.


25

The international Wimbex consortium was in Ireland in mid April, meeting Meath Hill GWS committee membersand laying the groundwork for what promises to be an innovative metering project.


26

WexfordKnockina GWS met with theNFGWS and Wexford Co.Co. on 13 May to discuss aproposed upgrade. The scheme subsequentlyheld a full membership meet-ing and now has the backingof its members to proceedwith works that will be ten-dered for shortly.The upgrade will includehealth & safety improvementsand metering of the scheme.

***A meeting between EPS andT. J. O’Connor & Associatesdealt with UV issues and alu-minium exceedences onBlackstairs GWS. A numberof process changes have beenmade and these will be moni-tored over the coming weeks.

***Contract no. 5 (2km of crosscountry pipeline) has been

completed on BlackstairsGWS and re-instatementworks is due to be completedin the coming weeks. 1.7 km of critical mainsreplacement in theBallywilliam area (underContract no. 5) commencedon 10 June.The commissioning oftelemetry equipment on theBallindoney and Poulpeastyreservoirs is ongoing. Telemetry equipment isbeing installed on thescheme’s reservoirs at Caim,Tempeludigan, Rathnure,Rathduff and Ballywilliam. Fencing of the Ballindoneyreservoir site is to be carriedout in August.

***Wexford’s Rural WaterMonitoring Committee meton 11 June to reviewprogress.

WicklowContractors have beenappointed to connectHempstown GWS to theBlessington Regionalscheme. The works have nowcommenced and it is hopedthat they will be substantiallycompleted this year.

***

Baltyboys GWS held it AGMin April. The scheme is oper-ating very well and dailywater demand has remainedat a steady level over the past12 months. The scheme hopes to applyfor Capital ReplacementFunding shortly in respect ofitems of plant scheduled to bereplaced this year.

***Work recently commencedon the Askinagap GWS bore-hole to see if raw water qual-ity could be improved. The scheme has been experi-encing high levels of iron andmanganese in their supplyover the past few years. Although the initial resultsfollowing the recent worksdid show an improvement,there has been a slight deteri-oration recently. The group water schemeintends monitoring their sup-ply over the coming monthsto see if the raw water quali-ty stablises.

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ClareThe LMC meeting forschemes in the DBO bundlewas held in May. This heardthat treated water quality onall the schemes was excellentduring the last quarter. Itemsscheduled for replacementunder the CapitalReplacement Fund are due inthe coming months and theprocess under which this willhappen was discussed indetail. The relevantDepartment Circular on theCRF was presented and theschemes were advised to getthree quotations for the works. DBO service provider, EPSLtd supplied the schemeswith a list of all the itemsrequiring replacement andthe associated costs. EPS explained that they arelooking at pre treating theborehole on the LissycaseyGWS to assist in dealing withmanganese levels in the rawwater. This will be done priorto blending and shouldimprove the quality of thefinal treated water supplied tothe GWS.

***Clare Rural WaterMonitoring Committee metin May to agree the pro-gramme of works under theRural water Programme2013. Of the €520,000 totalallocation towards groupschemes, €100,000 is to bespent on the taking in chargeof Moyglass GWS andClonfadda GWS, while€300,000 is being allocatedtowards upgrading works onthe following schemes:Castlecrine GWS, SpancilhillGWS, Corbally GWS,Clarefield GWS, KilnaboyGWS, Killone GWS andMonvana GWS. A further€100,000 has been allocatedto Killone GWS to make

improvements to their treat-ment plant, while €20,000will assist Ballygannor GWS– a small GWS in theKilfenora area – to connect toa public main.

***Monreagh (Tubber) GWS isin the early stages of upgrad-ing its Galway-based pump-house and treatment facilities.The group recently receivedan engineer’s report recom-mending a staged approach towhat will be a substantialinfrastructural investmentthat will (if approved) includesource improvements, instal-lation of appropriate treat-ment facilities and networkrehabilitation.A members’ meeting is to beheld to consider the report.

CorkBallinguyroe &Tankardstown GWS hasalmost completed a universalmetering project and is nowconsidering installing anAMR system. The scheme plans to monitorwater demand for the remain-der of the year to detect waterleakage and to begin charg-ing members based onmetered usage from 2014.

***A recently constructed reser-voir on Aghern GWS appearsto be showing signs of crack-ing. The scheme is currentlyworking with the contractorto resolve the issue. Thiswater storage tank was com-pleted earlier this year toreplace the previous tank dueto it cracking!

***The Rural Water Monitoringcommittee met in June to planexpenditure of the €400,000allocated under this year�

summer 2013 volume 15 issue 2 zoc delineation gets go ...magazine of the group water scheme sector a...

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