Irish Water's decision to connect only half of Cork village to sewerage system criticised 

Under Irish Water plans, it will provide water on an interim basis for Clonakilty from the river in Bandon.

Cork county councillors have expressed dismay at two plans by Irish Water, one of which will see only half of Castletownsend connected to a new sewerage system and the other to provide water on an interim basis for Clonakilty from the river in Bandon.

Standing orders were suspended at a council meeting when Fianna Fáil councillors Joe Carroll and Deirdre Kelly said they were shocked to discover the utility was going back on a previous promise to connect all of the coastal village of Castletownsend to a new system but is now only going to do half of it.

“This sounds ridiculous. It (the whole village) will all have to be done eventually,” Mr Carroll said.

Ms Kelly said she hopes common sense will prevail. “Working on a piecemeal basis is a waste of resources,” she added.

Fine Gael councillor John O’Sullivan said it wasn’t unusual as some houses in Courtmacsherry weren't connected to a new sewerage treatment plant recently built there.

Independent councillor Marcia D’Alton said when the €140m Cork Lower Harbour wastewater treatment scheme was built some settlements weren’t connected to it, even though the pipe ran right alongside them.

“It’s madness and environmentally irresponsible,” she said.

The council is to write to Irish Water to seek an explanation.

Clonakilty supply

Meanwhile, councillors reacted angrily to news the utility intends to extract water from the river in Bandon to supply Clonakilty, instead of supplying it directly from the Inniscarra Reservoir, or from a source in Drinagh.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan said she's upset by Irish Water’s “unilateral decision” to do this without consulting the council.

“Clonakilty is constrained from development due to a lack of water supply. I want to see all towns in West Cork prosper and thrive, but not one at the expense of the other. I have serious concerns with regard to the future capacity of the Bandon river to supply Clonakilty as well as all of the settlements along the Bandon River valley,” Ms Coughlan said.

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“Should a company wish to locate in Bandon, the limit in water supply could impact on their decision. The headroom in supply for existing demand was drastically reduced (in Bandon) during the summer drought. I haven't been given any satisfactory answer as to why water from Drinagh (Curraghlicky Lake) is not being used to supplement the Clonakilty supply."

Independent councillor Declan Hurley said Clonakilty will “continue to struggle” until it gets a proper supply and maintained it was a better option to provide it from Inniscarra with a branch-off main that could also supply Dunmanway.