Call for Uisce Éireann to provide tanker for West Cork town left without water for 'three or four days'

It follows another break to an ageing water main supplying the village of Adrigole

Cork County Council’s West Cork Municipal District meeting heard that when water was the responsibility of Cork County Council a water tanker would have been put in place for the use of local people. File picture: Donal O'Keeffe

Ongoing water supply issues in the West Cork village of Adrigole on the Beara Peninsula were raised by councillors at the recent meeting of Cork County Council’s West Cork Municipal District held in Dunmanway.

Local independent councillor Finbarr Harrington said the “water is off in Adrigole yet gain this morning” following another break to an ageing water main supplying the village. 

Mr Harrington said local councillors had met with Uisce Éireann officials last week and had since been assured that works on replacing the mains would commence in April and be completed in June.

He said the assurances of work finally starting would not prevent the mains from continuing to fail in the meantime, after the mains failed a week ago prior to the most recent break, leaving people without water for “three or four days”. 

Mr Harrington said it was inevitable that the mains would continue to fail “every two or three weeks” and possibly more when works on the replacement begin.

He said that when water was the responsibility of Cork County Council, a water tanker would have been put in place for local people.

He urged Uisce Éireann to do so in the case of Adrigole. 

He said: “Can we write to Uisce Éireann and ask them to cop on a small bit here and make a bit of an effort?” 

Danny Collins of Independent Ireland said that at the recent meeting, it was “difficult to get a straight answer” from Uisce Éireann on anything. 

He said the situation in Adrigole was ridiculous “in this day and age,” adding that he felt Uisce Éireann was disrespecting the concerns of local people and representatives.

It was agreed that the council would write to Uisce Éireann requesting the provision of a water tanker for Adrigole.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.