Engineer warns of dry summers ahead

A FARM community left without water for five days could be a sign of things to come for the whole region if major augmentation schemes are not progressed.

Cork County Council senior engineer Niall O'Mahony yesterday warned that the high-profile tourist region is facing a serious crisis in terms of water supply.

Significant housing developments in coastal towns such as Clonakilty "where water consumption increased by 14% in 2004" are putting pressure on regional supply schemes, he claimed.

Mr O'Mahony suggested West Cork was faced with a "critical situation" unless three upgraded regional water supply schemes Bantry, Schull and Clonakilty are up and running in a few years.

"I want the general public to realise that these schemes have to go ahead; they are urgently needed," he told a western committee meeting yesterday. "There are people suffering already but early starts to these schemes are getting more and more urgent if the council has to keep up with the level of development in West Cork."

Local people in Reenascreena, about five miles from Clonakilty were up in arms after being left for five days without running water in peak summer.

A deputation from the local action group yesterday told county councillors that the Reenascreena community did not want to face another summer of wondering from day to day if they will have water.

"To a greater or lesser degree, the residents have suffered intermittent failure of their water supply during practically every summer for a decade or more," action group member Calvin Jones told the council.

"Patience is something people in Reenascreena have in abundance but, like our water supply, this summer it finally ran out.

"Imagine, five days ... no water to drink, no water to cook, to bathe your children, to wash your dishes or clean your hands."

He insisted: "We are not asking for miracle solutions but an assurance the system is upgraded sufficiently before next summer."

Farmer Noel Fitzpatrick said the community demanded actions, initiatives and results from the council. Without water, animals are stressed, he said, and in some farms such as pig or poultry units, it was a case of life and death.

Mr O'Mahony advised councillors that an upgraded Dunmanway scheme was the ultimate solution to the Reenascreena problem but in the meantime the council planned to upsize the local reservoir and install new pumping equipment at Clonakilty.

Councillor Christy O'Sullivan said it should not be an impossible task to fast track the improvement works for the Reenascreena supply while Councillor Donal O'Rourke said the council couldn't ignore a crisis that affects livelihoods.