'It’s horrendous’: Cork villagers count the cost of creaky water system
The Haven Bar in Killavullen which has to buy in bulk bags of ice for its customers because of the 'boil water notice' in the village. Picture: Howard Crowdy
For mother-of-four Ann Marie Ryan, life in the north Cork village of Killavullen has become “unbearable”.
Her youngest child Mia was born in March, not long before a boil water notice for the area was issued on May 2, and she has had to boil water to feed her child ever since.
“Bathing her [is] very awkward because you’re trying to make sure she doesn’t put her hands in her mouth," Ms Ryan said.
"Even my little boy — he’s only four — but washing his teeth he has to go to the bathroom with a bottle of water. It’s just very difficult.
“Even going for a shower and stuff we’re trying to tell [him] to keep his mouth closed. Stuff like that shouldn’t be happening in this day and age.”
In the small rural village, the boil water notice is in place because of high levels of turbidity — or cloudiness — in the local water source, an ongoing issue in parts of Ireland’s water system.
This is the second boil water notice so far this year, with a previous alert lasting several weeks from March.
Like many in her community, Ms Ryan is understandably fed up.
“You’d be thinking, ‘a couple of weeks? Fair enough’, but it’s been going on months now. There’s no end in sight,” she said. “It’s just a bit ridiculous now at this stage.”
“It’s horrendous,” said Karen O’Shea. “I understand that water is free, that we’re not paying water charges, but it’s been going on since May. We’re having to buy bottles of water for everything really.”
Ms O’Shea travels more than 10km to Mallow every week to buy 15 litres of water because there are no shops in Killavullen.
She fears having to make the trek during wintertime when the winding, country roads will be treacherous.
“It’s a human requirement to have fresh, clean water,” she said.
Killavullen is one of 10 areas under boil water notices at the time of writing, seven of which are in Munster.
More than half a million people in Ireland continue to be served by water supplies deemed in need of investment to improve water quality, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The total number of people affected by boil water notices in 2021 was approximately 211,000
A report by the EPA published last week revealed that the country's water infrastructure is falling well below EU standard — with enough sewage to fill three Olympic-sized swimming pools pouring into Irish seas and rivers every day, 16 years after EU deadlines passed to meet treatment standards.
At a recent Oireachtas committee, EPA senior inspector Michelle Minihan said many interventions on problematic water plants have been unsuccessful, and it was “disappointing” and a “persistent problem” to continue adding water plants to the list of plants in need of investment.
The HSE said “there’s probably some room for improvement” by Irish Water on the turnaround time for boil water notices.
Although Irish Water is under increasing pressure to improve water services after decades of underinvestment, it said €40bn-€50bn in funding is needed to bring the service up to a “normal level”, with €1.1bn to be spent this year.
But for residents of Killavullen, this investment can’t come soon enough.
“We are boiling, boiling, boiling all the time,” said one resident, who had to buy a new kettle recently after using it too much.
Deputy principal of Killavullen National School Claire Quinlan said initially they bought large drums of water but now parents are asked to send their children to school with extra water.
She said it hasn’t dramatically affected the school financially, but “the cost would be on the parents” buying bottles of water for their children.
“I don’t know how the families are coping,” said pre-school owner Yvonne O’Keefe, who also said the brunt of the cost is on parents.
In its latest update to residents on October 7, Irish Water said works are ongoing to make the water safe in the short-term and there are long-term plans to link Killavullen up with the Mallow Public Water Supply Scheme — but this could take two to three years.
“I understand it is extremely frustrating for all the community and all concerned, but I would like to reiterate that we are working as quickly as we can to resolve these complex issues on site,” said Irish Water operations lead Pat Britton.
“Unfortunately, we are still experiencing ongoing turbidity issues in the water source which are preventing us from lifting the notice.”
Many locals expressed frustration that they couldn’t see any works being carried out in the area.
William O’Leary, county councillor for Fermoy, said Irish Water are “proving frustrating at the moment in the sense that we’re not getting details of progress”.
“It’s not one bit acceptable,” he said, and added that residents need certainty. “To be under a boil water notice since May is nearly inhumane.”
An update from Irish Water was provided at a northern committee county council meeting in Mallow on Monday, but “the details of it we were getting was very limited”, he said.
“[Irish Water] haven’t really informed us properly,” said Carol Mansfield, who owns Killavullen’s only active pub, The Haven Bar, with her husband Patrick.
“It’s language you can’t really understand,” Patrick said. “You’re none the wiser after reading it.
“We spend €50 a week just for ice,” he said. “Then you have to get bottled water because somebody will ask for water … but we don’t charge for that.”
In a statement to the , the Killavullen Community Council expressed frustration over “no clear date” to the lifting of restrictions.
“Energy costs have increased hugely for every household, boiling or purchasing water to drink is an extra cost for everyone in Killavullen who depends on the public water supply.
“Can Irish Water and Cork County Council offer some help in easing this extra cost that the community must take on board for what might be years?
"The vulnerable in our community will increase as is the way when price hikes are imposed and the cost-of-living rises.
“We must make sure that the people in our communities that need help the most are looked after and having safe drinking water is a must.”
For retired prison officer Sean O'Flynn living in Killavullen, driving to the nearest town for water isn’t an option without a car.
“[I’m] boiling it most of the time — when I remember. If not, I take medication and I drink it. [It] hasn’t done me any harm yet anyway.
“The kettle is one of those [appliances] that when you switch it on there’s a huge drain of electricity,” he said, and added there “absolutely” has been an increase in his electricity bills because of the boil water notice.
“I suppose you get used to it after a while,” he said. “I don’t brush my teeth with boiled water though. Maybe that’s why my teeth are falling out.”
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