Friday, September 07, 2007
IF present trends continue, there could be an extra million people living in Ireland by 2021.
And, while much attention is given to the demands for more accommodation, roads and shops and other services, water is often taken for granted.
After one of the wettest months of June since records began, we might think we’ll never be short of the very substance on which life itself depends. However, the provision of quality drinking water is set to become a huge challenge.
During recent, dry summers, supplies of water ran short and recent proposals to pipe water all the way from the Shannon to Dublin are not as far-fetched as might at first seem, given the demands for water from the growing population in thecapital and east coast.
With global warming, scientists and weather forecasters are predicting longer dry spells in summer time and say water will have to be stored in the future for both domestic and farming purposes.
Just over 500,000 people now live in the south-western region where a major study is now underway to protect and improve water sources, some of which are at high risk from pollution and which, in some cases, have been polluted for years.
The Water Matters study is focused on a river basis district that includes most of counties Cork and Kerry, parts of Waterford, Limerick and south Tipperary and all of Cork city. It’s all about being in line with the EU Water Framework Directive, which is taking a new approach to managing water and requires all responsible authorities to co-ordinate their efforts.
Our water has been affected by economic growth since the early 1990’s. More people and more houses obviously call for bigger water supply schemes and more waste treatment facilities.
Water quality in Ireland has been declining for more than 30 years, with some of our most famous lakes, including Lough Ennel, Lough Sheelin, Lough Lein and Lough Corrib being among the high-profile victims of serious pollution.
The challenge now is not just to ensure there’s enough water to go around, but also that it is clean and safe to drink. As well as human needs, fish and plant life must also be protected and people will also have to be allowed to use waters for recreation and tourism.
Perhaps the best-known waterway in the south-west is the Munster Blackwater while Lough Lein, the biggest of the Killarney Lakes, is the tourism gem. Along with the Blackwater, other key catchments are the Lee, the Bandon, the Ilen, the Inny, the Maine and the Laune.
Another feature is the large number of lakes, including 20 which cover more than 50 hectares. The Inniscara lake is the largest source of drinking water in Co Cork, for instance.
Pollution, which comes from many sources, is the most common environmental problem, but not the only one to be tackled. The abstraction of too much water is an issue. When that happens, nature’s ability to function is interfered with and sources can dry up in extreme cases.
After years of water quality concerns, meanwhile, Ennis, Co Clare, and its environs is to get a new water treatment plant which will have advanced technology based on ‘ultra filtration’ system.
A Mallow, Co Cork, company, EPS Pumping and Treatment Systems, has been appointed to provide the first plant of its size undertaken for a local authority in Ireland.
Using a technology that is impenetrable to bugs like cryptosporidium, which is causing so many problems in Galway, the plant is to be designed to produce up to 18 million litres of treated water per day. The plant is to be built on agricultural land which adjoins the existing reservoir site at Drumcliff.
Ennis has been subject to prolonged water boil notices over the last number of years and the town’s relationship with the Mallow-based company began 18 months ago when the water treatment specialist assisted in putting in place a temporary plant to give some relief to the people of the area.
It has now been confirmed that EPS will spend the next two years constructing the new €7.5 million permanent works. EPS will operate the plant for 20 years, in line with an all-in contract, from design to operational stage, favoured by the Department of the Environment.
EPS has already upgraded a substantial water treatment plant at Luimnigh for Galway County Council.
In order to alleviate the Galway city crisis, it was agreed to accelerate work on the Luminigh water treatment plant. Water from this plant could then be transferred to Galway City Council, while solutions are still being considered for the Terryland plant.
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