Multiple residential developments to be turned down in Kenmare due to lack of drinking water supply

The situation in Kenmare, where more than €40m has been invested in waste water and other water infrastructure, but not a single house could be built, is 'like a Harry Potter movie', the meeting was told. Picture: Denis Scannell

Multiple residential developments — the first proposals in years now in the planning process — are likely to be turned down in Kenmare because of the ongoing issue with lack of drinking water supply.

Uisce Éireann is currently looking for a water source but the search is at an early stage, a council meeting on Friday heard.

The situation in Kenmare, where more than €40m has been invested in waste water and other water infrastructure, but not a single house could be built, is “like a Harry Potter movie”, the meeting was told.

Independent councillor Dan McCarthy said there was great concern in the town about planning refusals because of lack of drinking water.

The council had zoned land for housing as the waste water infrastructure has at last been addressed.

“We have sites ready to go. Do we have a situation now where a developer has to find water themselves?” Mr McCarthy asked.

Builders were being asked to set up their own group schemes to source and treat water, which was “impossible” from a number of points of view, according to Clr Johnny Healy-Rae. “These applications are going to be refused,” he warned.

The lack of waste water treatment had held up development for two decades, and now that was in place, but the issue of drinking water had not been resolved. Some €3m had been spent by Kerry County Council between 2008-2009 on a failed proposal to take water from the Sheen River.

“Nothing has been done since,” Mr Healy-Rae said. “Tis like a Harry Potter movie,” he added.

Pension and other investment funds which were behind the multiple developments would move their investments elsewhere to towns which had water, he warned.

The council said "the supply of drinking water in Kenmare is solely a matter for Uisce Éireann. The council is aware that Uisce Éireann is working to identify a new source of water supply along with water infrastructure ]new water treatment plant and associated water main infrastructure] for the Kenmare area."

“The council is also aware that Uisce Éireann is at the early stages of considering options for a new drinking water source, and when exploratory activities are completed, Uisce Éireann will be able to estimate the completion date for the planned increase in water availability,” it said.

There are a number of applications for multiple residential developments in Kenmare town where further information has been sought “and water supply is one of the factors that the planning authority is seeking to have addressed”, it said.

A meeting of the Kenmare Municipal District in September heard how close to 160 houses in the planning process were being asked to source their own water or be refused permission because the town has no additional water supply and none has been identified, the meeting was told.