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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 1 Jun 1999

Vol. 505 No. 6

Adjournment Debate. - Water and Sewerage Schemes.

I wish to raise the need for the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to approve the connection of Balla water scheme, to be connected to the Lough Mask regional water scheme. Balla is a small village seven miles from Castlebar. The general area comprises approximately 400 houses which require connection to the regional water scheme. A preliminary report prepared by P. J. Tobin and Co., Consulting Engineers, put forward proposals for an extension of the Lough Mask scheme to serve both Balla and Kiltimagh. The new scheme would run from Ballyheane, through Belcarra, to Balla and on to Kiltimagh. The report was submitted to the Department of the Environment for approval in 1990 together with an estimated cost of approximately £5 million. The proposed scheme provided for the construction of a new 400 millimetre diameter trunk main from Ballyheane to Balla and Kiltimagh and the construction of a new 4,500 cubic metre storage reservoir at Craggagh. Provision was also made for a distribution main for Balla and connections to a number of group water schemes in the region to be served.

Since 1990 the water supply in Balla in particular has deteriorated. The Balla well source has been abandoned because of contamination and Balla is now supplied from the Prison group water scheme. The source of this private group water scheme is Carrowmore Lake and no treatment is provided other than chlorination. Water quality is variable and there have been numerous complaints from consumers about taste and odour. Similar problems arise in the nearby Manulla group scheme which is also sourced from Carrowmore Lake. The nearby Belcarra group scheme is supplied from Welshpool Lake and water quality fails to meet the requirements of the drinking water regulations.

Because of the seriousness of the water quality problem generally and particularly in the case of Balla's public supply, it was intended to proceed with the 1990 scheme in two phases with priority being given to the Balla connection. The proposed route of the pipeline was through Belcarra, Manulla and Prison and it could also supply a number of other private group water schemes to the south and east of Balla. The proposed extension to Balla would cost approximately £3 million.

Some of the schemes which could be connected to the Balla scheme are Garnahan, a public supply with poor water quality and supply capacity, Ardboley, a public supply, Ballymackeogh, which has poor water quality and supply capacity which was upgraded, Belcarra, Derryvohy, Keeloges, Manulla, Monard, Pollavaddy, Prison and Rathduff. These are all private water schemes with poor water quality. The Minister is presiding over a situation where more than 400 houses are, by the Department's regulations, seriously in need of attention.

In reply to a recent parliamentary question about the Ardboley group water scheme, the Department of the Environment and Local Government indicated it had requested Mayo County Council by circular letter L9/98 to restructure its priorities and to contact the Department so it could consider it when framing the National Development Plan, 2000-06. The council responded to the Department and gave the Balla scheme a high priority. Two councillors responsible for that area, Councillors Kenny and Burke, also raised this matter with Mayo County Council.

I was disappointed the Minister did not sanction this scheme when he visited Castlebar last Friday. Many promises have been made by enthusiastic candidates. I do not want the Minister to be in breach of the drinking water regulations for the sake of £3 million. I ask him to formally sanction this scheme.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. On behalf of the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, I want to comment briefly on the extent of the Government's commitment to the water services area generally, a commitment that has been firmly underlined by the unprecedented level of investment set out in the 1999 water and sewerage services investment programme which was published last January.

The 1999 programme is by far the largest. At £275 million, investment in water and sewerage services this year will be 50 per cent greater than last year and no less than double the size of the 1996 spend. Funding of this order will impact positively and substantially on our environmental infrastructure and the ability of that infrastructure to meet current and projected development needs from residential, industrial and other forms of economic activity.

County Mayo is a significant beneficiary under the 1999 programme which includes schemes in Mayo worth almost £84 million. Listed to start construction are the Ballina regional water supply scheme, Crossmolina sewerage scheme and an advance section of the Westport sewerage scheme. The Achill, phase IV, water scheme, the Claremorris sewerage scheme, the Castlebar environs and Newport Road sewerage scheme and the Ballyhaunis sewerage scheme are included to continue construction. Provision has also been made for a significant number of schemes to advance through planning. These include the Lough Mask regional water supply, the Knock to Ballyhaunis scheme, Ballyhaunis town water, Erris regional water supply, extension to Mullet Peninsula, the Knock, Killala and Achill Sound sewerage schemes, the Ballina main drainage scheme and the main elements of the Castlebar environs and Westport sewerage schemes.

Funding has also been approved under the serviced land initiative for schemes worth over £3.2 million at Ballina, Ballinrobe, Newport and Mulranny. This is designed to bring additional serviced residential sites on stream as rapidly as possible to ease pressures on the housing market. In addition, three sewerage schemes – Bonniconlon, Turlough, and Cong – have been recently approved under the rural towns and villages initiative for which overall funding of £80 million is being provided over the next four years. It is clear that Mayo is getting a fair share of the available funding and that the schemes which have been approved will greatly contribute to removing development constraints and to creating the infrastructure needed to support and expand tourism and other important economic activities in the county.

As regards the Balla water supply, while the source can suffer from quality variations, it is understood that the source provides generally drinkable water. A preliminary report for the Lough Mask regional water supply scheme, extension to Balla and Kiltimagh, was submitted to the Department of the Environment in 1990 but has not been approved. A revised proposal relating to the phasing of the scheme, with the initial phase serving Balla and a number of group schemes, was submitted to the Department on 27 April last. However, as the scheme is not included in this year's water and sewerage services investment programme, it comes within the terms of the Department's Circular letter L9/98 of 22 October 1998. This circular asked each local authority to undertake a fresh assessment of the needs for capital works in its area and to prepare a prioritised list of projects based on the assessment. The priority lists will be taken into consideration by the Department of the Environment and Local Government in framing future water and sewerage services investment programmes under the next National Development Plan, 2000-06.

The Dáil adjourned at 8.50 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 2 June 1999.

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